JOIN's Future Home

We are slowly crafting a shared vision and plan for JOIN's future home at 1435 NE 81st Ave. The design so far has been sculpted from the suggestions and ideas of JOIN's Board of Directors, Staff, and most importantly the people JOIN serves. The ideas are functional in nature in our effort to deliver services. However, like everything that JOIN does, there is a strong set of values behind them with the goal of incorporating practical and sustainability principles. Our architects Doug Circosta and Saj Jivanjee have done a masterful job in hearing and articulating these ideas through drawings. We appreciate their patiences with us.

The implementation of those ideas has begun with some of the same people that created them through dismantling the inside of the building. As one of JOIN's partners said to me, 'This isn't demolition, it's deconstruction.' He was correct. Our demo process is really a deconstruction process. We are recycling or reusing the majority of materials that are coming out of the building. The vast majority of the work is being done by volunteers--105 volunteers' hours so far. We have had employees from Tazo Tea, members from Sunset Presbyterian Church, the JOIN staff, and several of the people JOIN serves.

We have reclaimed roughly:

17 sheets of sheetrock
16 sheets of plywood
280 feet of insulation
11 doors
2 windows
56 metal studs
27 wood studs
47 feet conduit
several pounds of screws

We are recycling the metal and old sheetrock that cannot be used. All the work being done is under the watchful eye of Stewart March, our general contractor. Stewart brings his own experience and passion for sustainable creations. We will keep you updated on our progress as the summer unfolds.