Emergent Structures, a Savannah-based non-profit organization, has been awarded the 2016 Sustainable Building Award for “The Most Innovative Building Material Re-Use Organization in the U.S.A.” from Build News, a construction and property development magazine in the United Kingdom.

The Sustainable Building Awards aim to accentuate the tireless work undertaken by those individuals or firms who have changed the global construction market for the better. Emergent Structures has been recognized for their innovative material re-purposing initiatives and their unique storytelling approach to making re-use more accessible and meaningful to the public.

Since their founding in 2009, Emergent Structures has built structures such as greenhouses, pergolas, and garden sheds for community organizations like the West Broad Street YMCA and the Greenbriar Home for Children. They also lead design initiatives to transform waste construction materials into designed objects such as office desks, restaurant planters, and farm carts.  “Our motto is that a reclaimed board is not a board; it’s a springboard for sustainable change,” says Emergent Structures’ President Scott Boylston. “And at the heart of our work is building collaborative capacity between organizations, businesses, entrepreneurs, and community organizations that most cities possess already.”  

Emergent Structures has also participated in various building material reclamation and re-use projects on the site of the Savannah Gardens redevelopment site in partnership with Thomas and Hutton Engineering, NorSouth Construction, Mercy Housing, CHSA Development, and the City of Savannah’s Department of Housing.

“We’re honored to receive this recognition,” said Mark Fitzpatrick, vice president of Emergent Structures.  “Our work aims to change how people everywhere see the potential of waste. With a little imagination and collaboration, we can reduce environmental impacts and enhance community vitality.”