Salvaged Love: Archinect Sessions #73 with Michael Bricker, founder of People for Urban Progress, the Indianapolis non-profit repurposing architectural trash into local treasures

2016-07-21T15:55:00-04:00

When Indianapolis began demolishing its RCA Dome in 2008, Michael Bricker saw a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To save the stadium's white, Teflon-coated fiberglass roof from the landfill, Bricker salvaged 13 acres of it, and turned it into shade structures for the city, as well as locally-designed accessories. With this project, People for Urban Progress was born.

Bricker is the Founder and Executive Director of People for Urban Progress, aka PUP, based in Indianapolis. The non-profit is focused on diverting building materials from wasting away in landfills, and repurposing it for local improvements. Trained as an architect and also working as a production designer, Bricker has gone on with PUP to turn old stadium seats into bus stops, and fabric from Superbowl XLVI into handbags. Sessions' own Donna Sink is a board member at PUP, and Bricker joined us on the podcast to discuss the organization's goals and design ethos.

As a bonus for Sessions listeners, get 15% off anything in PUP'...

What Separates Actual Innovators From Those Who Just Talk About It?

2015-06-01T11:21:00-04:00

"...we’re losing focus on the how and why of innovation. We throw the word around so casually that it’s starting to become synonymous with the idea itself. But let’s be clear: An idea is not innovation. Innovation is about matching need with execution. It’s about changing the conversation and following through."

Chief Innovator at PUP, Michael Bricker, pens a brief article on the need for stamina in the design field.

I and others have often argued here that "design" doesn't end after the initial concept sketch, that in fact this is where design begins: in the wrestling of the idea into reality and the multiple thousands of decisions that have to be made along the way.

Archinect - News

Salvaged Love: Archinect Sessions #73 with Michael Bricker, founder of People for Urban Progress, the Indianapolis non-profit repurposing architectural trash into local treasures

What Separates Actual Innovators From Those Who Just Talk About It?