Checklist for Deconstruction
1. Treat existing buildings as resources and explicitly address their removal as part of any redevelopment plans. This encourages adequate time for salvage and consideration of how existing materials can be incorporated into new structures. 2. Design new buildings to make use of resources from old ones. Architects and engineers need to adjust their vision and perhaps their bias regarding the utility and possibilities that salvaged materials represent. Projects such as the C. K. Choi and Liu Centre buildings at the University of British Columbia, the Northside and Timber-Tech projects by the Center for Resourceful Building Technology in Missoula, Montana, and South Mountain Company’s home-building operations on Martha’s Vineyard are all excellent examples. 3. Design for disassembly. Select building systems that deliver the necessary architectural form and function but can be deconstructed at the end of the building’s useful life. The automotive industry is beginning to embrace this approach (for example, the Z-1 Roadster’s chassis and body can be separated in 20 seconds on the BMW “unassembly” line); the same principles can be applied to buildings. 4. Look for ingenuity. Not all demolition companies are created equal. When selecting a demolition firm, ask to see past projects that demonstrate flexible approaches to building removal and materials recovery. 5. Look for (the right type of) integrated contracting firms. Firms that have demolition operations linked to retail salvage or construction operations are more likely to view old buildings as resources, while firms that link demolition operations to a landfill or a roll-off business are likely to see more profit in burying the materials. 6. Use contract language to maximize reuse potential. WasteSpec (Triangle J Council of Governments, 919/549-0551, www.tjcog.dst.nc.us/TCOG) is a great resource to use in treating the specification process for building removal with the same level of detail as specification for construction. 7. Consider deconstruction for homes, too. For single-structure, residential building-removal projects, don’t assume that deconstruction is not viable. There are a growing number of deconstruction firms, both for-profit and nonprofit, that may be able to compete on small projects. 8. Use the Internet and its power of exchange. The Internet is a perfect tool for reaching a market as informal, atomized, and broadly based as the used building materials market. Currently, the redevelopment of the Pittsburgh Convention Center involves a plan to take the detailed salvage inventory of the buildings onto the Web site www.freemarkets.com for an Internet auction. Before a bolt is pulled or a brick dislodged, the materials are being offered for sale electronically all over the world at very low cost and level of effort. 9. Maintain environmental and energy standards when reusing. Vintage building materials can come with environmental penalties—ornate trim with lead-based paint, toilets at 3 or more gallons (11.4 l) per flush, or single-paned, energy-wasting doors and windows. Only reuse these salvaged materials if the net environmental impact is a positive one.
