The Architectural Salvage Warehouse of Detroit (ASWD), a nonprofit salvage and resale organization, was started in response to the tremendous amount of waste being generated in the demolition of houses in Detroit and its suburbs. In 2004, over 2,600 housing units were demolished in Detroit and over 4,000 were demolished across Southeast Michigan. The US EPA estimates that only about 20 to 30 percent of Construction and Demolition debris is recovered for reuse and recycling.

ASWD decided on a mission to save what we could of our historic regional materials, to salvage perfectly good architectural materials and put them in the hands of those who can use them and to create jobs and training for those interested in learning the skills of deconstruction. Our earnings are to go to historic preservation projects that we initiate and in grants to other historic preservation organizations that we partner with in projects.

Locally, ASWD is pioneering the deconstruction process, which maximizes the diversion of materials from landfills by using a systematic process in which up to 85% of materials can be salvaged for reuse or recycling for a secondary use. ASWD's work conserves historic architectural components, energy, and material resources, while creating 'new jobs' at a ratio of 5 to 1 compared with demolition. ASWD provides training and employment opportunities for local residents. In our first few months of deconstruction operations, we have trained eleven deconstruction members, and partnered with Youth Build Detroit to expose dozens of young construction apprentices to the deconstruction process.

ASWD has expanded collaborations to Focus Hope, Wayne State University and The University of Detroit Mercy, School of Architecture to formalize training and educational partnerships to enrich the economic prospects of Detroit's youth and neighborhoods. In addition we operate a retail warehouse that is integrated into an emerging arts district in a heavily disinvested Detroit neighborhood. The warehouse facilitates local access to affordable building materials for the long-term residents, newly arrived young families, and local entrepreneurs that are revitalizing the neighborhoods that surround our warehouse. Through outreach and local press coverage we have expanded our customer base to all metro Detroit suburbs. Our work is at the nexus of environmental protection and urban economic empowerment.

We began outreach in 2003, educational speaking engagements in 2004, and deconstruction and resale in the spring of 2005. We are a young organization, but have built a large number of organizational relationships and have a growing list of supporters. WE hope that you will consider joining those supporters by becoming a member of ASWD, by donating materials to our warehouse, by volunteering in our warehouse or at deconstruction sites or by using our deconstruction or materials skimming services.

ASWD's work can play an important role in retaining and expanding the material wealth and environmental health of this community, enhancing local sustainability by conserving material resources and promoting economic development and job creation

Leadership Team

Board of Directors

Michael Poris, AIA

Michael Poris, AIA, Principal of McIntosh Poris Associates, has spent much of his professional life championing the revitalization of his hometown of Detroit. Since establishing the firm in 1994, Poris has transformed buildings, communities, and urban centers through inclusion and dialogue. His leadership has evolved the firm into a full-service practice offering a range of disciplines in architecture, interior design, and urban planning. Throughout the years, MPA has been sought out for its adaptive re-use practice to help preserve many of Detroit’s 20th-century landmark buildings, historic districts, and iconic neighborhoods. Poris’ background in contemporary architecture and belief in thoughtful urban development has distinctly contributed to the city’s resurgence by delivering exciting environments for tech titans, leading restaurateurs, in the know homeowners, and responsive public spaces. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan and Masters in Architecture at SCI-Arc in Los Angeles, and currently is a member of the Architectural Salvage Warehouse Detroit board of directors and Cranbrook Art Museum Committee.

Gerald Underwood

Gerald is licensed in residential home construction. He works for Detroit Edison, is Vice-President of the Hawthorne Park Community Advisory Council, President of the Greendale Avenue Block Club, and Board Member of the 11th Precinct Community Relations Council. Gerald has been instrumental in developing training programs for the deconstruction crews at ASWD.

Diane Van Buren

Diane Van Buren integrates urban redevelopment, historic preservation and sustainable development principles to maximize community resources and energy efficiency of the built environment. In practice for more than 25 years, she has made redevelopment a primary focus of the economic development firm Zachary and Associates, serving a wide range of public, private and non-profit clients. By placing a high value on demonstrating the effectiveness of alternative energy with historic preservation projects, she was instrumental in creating the Sugar Hill Development 71 Garfield project that incorporated the use of solar and geothermal technologies in the adaptive reuse of a deteriorated yet historic 1922 building. She is currently leading a multi-faceted adaptive reuse and technology team to develop and install a fully integrated net-zero community solar project within the Beltline, a former industrial district in Detroit. On a much smaller scale, through a Ford College Community grant, she is leading a collaboration of Wayne State University Honors and University Detroit Mercy architecture students to develop and build solar collector and rain catchment community pavilions with four community garden programs in Detroit.