ABSTRACT
The tradition of re-using existing structures as well as deconstruction, rather than demolition, merits revisiting. These represent the green sustainable practices of recycling existing buildings, and equally important—their materials. To illustrate these processes, building traditions transferred from the Romans to Spain (as part of their Empire), and subsequently to the New World, can be traced. Recycling building debris and rubble has become more imperative due to urban density, diminishing natural raw materials, environmental issues, and economic realities. Essential to the 21st century architectural conservation field is the use of green techniques that significantly reduce the carbon footprint. Retaining a structure in its original site and reusing salvaged building materials (known as embodied energy), reduces consumption and the supplies required for new construction. These are common sense ideas used in the past which represent a viable way to conserve and sustain the natural as well as, the built environment.
