New Ideas CityHello Museum

12 X 12 NYC

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12 × 12 NYC: A Project of Sawkill Lumber Co.

12×12 is a collaborative project of Sawkill Lumber Co. that reclaims New York City’s salvaged lumber for low-cost furniture components.

Millions of cubic feet of antique and vintage-grade lumber enter the construction and demolition waste stream from dismantled NYC buildings every year. At the same time, multinational corporations in the wood-products industries are depleting the earth’s tropical and boreal forests. The use of salvaged lumber offsets only a tiny fraction of the loss but can help raise awareness and contribute to innovative approaches. The work also reclaims bits of history in the form of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century buildings, which represent a form of untapped capital. This material culture is renewed by contemporary design, a transformation that reflects the magic of New York.

12 × 12 NYC at IDEAS CITY 2013 will include a reclaimed-wood workshop on DIY design and nontoxic finishing.