Innovative approaches to building deconstruction and recycling are belying the myth that this practice always costs more than demolition. The May issue of Environmental Building News published the following guidelines for maximizing the potential of deconstruction:
1. Treat existing buildings as resources and explicitly address their removal as part of any redevelopment plans. 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. 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. 4. Look for ingenuity. 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 demolition firms ... that have deconstruction operations linked to retail salvage or construction operations. 6. Use contract language to maximize reuse potential. WasteSpec (www.tjcog.dst.nc.us) is a great resource to use in treating the specification process with the same level of detail as specification for construction. 7. Consider deconstruction for homes, too. 8. Use the Internet and its power of exchange. 9. Maintain environmental and energy standards when reusing...Only reuse salvaged materials if the net environmental impact is a positive one. (For an overview of deconstruction developments and project profiles, see "Deconstruction Shifts From Philosophy To Business" in this issue.)
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