{"id":4906,"date":"2016-05-19T13:57:20","date_gmt":"2016-05-19T03:57:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/edgeenvironment.com\/?p=4906"},"modified":"2019-09-27T13:58:35","modified_gmt":"2019-09-27T03:58:35","slug":"designing-for-deconstruction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edgeenvironment.com\/us\/2016\/05\/19\/designing-for-deconstruction\/","title":{"rendered":"Designing for Deconstruction: why you should consider demolition before design"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"image2-1-e1453233565175\"<\/a>When considering the furnishings, equipment and materials used in your new office fit-out, have you chosen products that can be recycled when you don’t want them anymore?<\/em><\/p>\n

Companies take a lot of pride in their working spaces and the creation of a sustainable office environment, and it\u2019s clear that the trend to reduce operational waste, energy and water is firmly embedded. However, how much thought goes into the purchasing of the furnishings, equipment and materials used in your office, from a waste-reduction\u00a0perspective?<\/p>\n

Some items may contain recycled matter or forestry-approved timber, but is there a product-stewardship system in place? Can they be recycled at end-of-life? These are the questions being asked by groups like WRAP<\/a> in the UK and are now gaining popularity in Australia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

DfD \u2013\u00a0thinking\u00a0about the supply chain both upstream and downstream<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Design for Deconstruction (DfD) movement is now entrenched\u00a0in architecture and building engineering. In essence, the intent of DfD is about sustainable procurement \u2013 designing and constructing buildings in a way that allows materials to be recovered, reused or recycled when the building\u00a0(interior or exterior) is eventually dismantled.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not entirely new. Leaders in the construction industry have long taken an interest in the upstream environmental credentials of building products and materials, and the introduction of recycled matter, sustainable forestry certifications and low-energy manufacturing are all visibly represented across the industry. Looking deeper though, people are\u00a0now considering what will happen to these materials when the building is gutted or demolished in the future.<\/p>\n

With the average length of a commercial tenancy in the Sydney CBD being only seven years, most installed materials do not come close to their useable lifetime before they are stripped out and, usually, sent as mixed waste to landfill. If we are to change this habit of continuous wastage, the first step is to make sustainable procurement the first<\/em> consideration for interior and fit-out designers.<\/p>\n

Tools such as Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental Product Declarations are now offering a means of developing a whole-of-life approach to product verifications and credentials. These holistic product assessments incorporate the end-of-life effects of disposal, including the offsetting of additional raw materials in the case where products can be reused or recycled.<\/p>\n

Everyone can play a role in “designing for deconstruction”<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If you are considering a new fit-out or designing a new commercial space (or any space, really!), there are a few simple principles you can follow:<\/p>\n