Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Design for Deconstruction

While researching alternatives to demolition I came across a deconstruction program that makes more sense than any other I've seen. Basically, Design for Deconstruction is legos for big people. 

The ultimate goal of the Design for Deconstruction (DfD) movement is to responsibly manage end-of-life building materials to minimize consumption of raw materials. By capturing materials removed during building renovation or demolition and finding ways to reuse them in another construction project or recycle them into a new product, the overall environmental impact of end-of-life building materials can be reduced. Architects and engineers can contribute to this movement by designing buildings that facilitate adaptation and renovation. This handbook presents an overview of basic Design for Deconstruction principles, and outlines the implementation of these principles in the design of Chartwell School in Seaside, California.