Sustainable Creators

A TBH Workshop Series

Presents …

Built to Last: A Conversation on Building Deconstruction and Material Reuse

Thursday, June 19 | 7 - 9 p.m.

Join us for a discussion on the role of deconstruction in built heritage conservation and adaptive reuse.

Opting for Deconstruction over Demolition

Each year, Ontario’s construction industry sends over a million tonnes of material to landfill—an environmental cost we cannot afford.

At The Brown Homestead, we believe that sustainability and heritage conservation go hand in hand. Join us for a thoughtful conversation with experienced professionals on the practice of deconstruction - the salvage and repurpose of building materials—as a meaningful alternative to demolition.

  • Date: Thursday, June 19

  • Time: Doors open at 6 p.m. for tours, Discussion begins at 7 p.m.

  • Admission: Free to attend, donations encouraged

  • Light refreshments provided

Pre-Registration Required

While this conversation is free to attend, seating is limited. Please sign-up!

Meet the Speakers

  • Ouroboros Deconstruction

    Meredith Moore is the founder of Ouroboros Deconstruction, a Greater Toronto Area–based company reshaping how we approach the end of a building’s life. With a background in art and architectural history from Brown University and a Master’s in Interior Design from Parsons, Meredith bridges heritage preservation with circular economy principles. Through Ouroboros, she leads hands-on efforts to salvage and repurpose building materials—keeping them out of landfills and in circulation. Her work demonstrates how reuse can be both environmentally and culturally restorative.

  • Arcana Restoration

    Daniel Arellano is a dedicated heritage professional and the founding partner of Arcana Restoration Group Ltd., a Toronto-based firm specializing in heritage masonry. Driven by a deep respect for tangible history and a strong commitment to the principles of the Circular Economy, Daniel recently launched Arcana Materials Co., an architectural salvage company focused on recovering and repurposing heritage masonry materials. By diverting valuable brick and stone from landfills, Arcana Materials helps meet the growing demand for reclaimed materials while preserving the stories embedded in our built environment.

  • The Brown Homestead

    Mackenzie Campbell is the Project Manager at The Brown Homestead, where she leads adaptive reuse and restoration projects across the site. She is a graduate of the Willowbank School of Restoration Arts with a diploma in Heritage Conservation. As a conservator, Mackenzie is passionate about deconstruction as a way to divert high-quality historic materials from the waste stream and put them back to use in meaningful conservation work.

Hear from Meredith Moore (Ouroboros Deconstruction), Daniel Arnello (Arcana Restoration) and The Brown Homestead’s Mackenzie Campbell as they share compelling real-world insights and project case studies to explore how salvaged building materials can be given new life. We’ll also highlight our own adaptive-reuse projects onsite, including how materials are being repurposed in our 1850s Dairy.

Participants are invited to bring their questions and join the conversation.

Accessibility

Please note that the John Brown House is undergoing continued restoration work and is currently not wheelchair accessible. The outdoor washroom facilities and second storey of the house are accessible by stairs only.

We apologize for this inconvenience, and we continue to work to create an engaging experience for all visitors to our site.