Sorry, that’s not right.

Salvaging materials from demolition sites is actually quite rare in Philly—most of the material usually goes to a landfill. Unfortunately, rates of demolition have been rising for the last decade in Philly, leading to concerns that we aren’t adequately protecting culturally significant spaces in this historic city. There’s also a phrase that preservationists, environmentalists, and architects alike use to express their thoughts on demolition: “the greenest building is the one that already exists.”