Building Deconstruction: A Viable Alternative to Demolition?

The latest effort to promote and document a deconstruction project comes from By dEsign Consultants, in a project sponsored by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Vince Catalli, principal of By dEsign, oversaw the deconstruc-tion of three buildings in Ottawa, Ontario: a four-story house, a two-story barn, and a small garage.

By going to extraordinary efforts, Catalli and the deconstruction team were able to sell 91% (by volume) of the material. Maximizing landfill diversion was their top goal, so they did not refrain from selling some items that, from an environmental perspective, probably should have been removed from circulation. These include water-guzzling toilets, painted woodwork likely containing lead, and single-pane windows. The windows went for use in an unweatherized cabin, according to Catalli, so there may be no energy penalty. They did encounter some asbestos insulation and asbestos-containing flooring, which were double-bagged and landfilled per local regulations.