Deconstruction over Demolition? – Questions You Should Consider

Projects which pursue deconstruction activities over demolition need to carefully consider the practicalities of how materials and products can be reused. Not doing so can result in a failure to achieve targets, deliver on commitments made, or in extreme cases not obtain planning consent.

If the built environment is to fully embrace the circular economy, deconstruction must become as prevalent as demolition. Deconstruction promotes the re-use of materials and products in their extant form, therefore avoiding the expenditure of embodied energy in new goods and emissions associated with disposal.

Setting project goals based only on the identification of reuse opportunities, however, could result in a failure to achieve them if the following considerations are not addressed early:

• What is the quality of this material/product?
• Can it be removed safely and intact?
• How can it be stored/secured if there is a delay between deconstruction and reapplication?
• Has a destination been secured for reuse?

All GLA-referable planning applications with existing structures must now prepare pre-redevelopment and pre-demolition audits. Whilst these will assist projects in investigating these questions, it is up to development teams to push their audits to do more than the bare minimum required for consent.

Regardless of the above, all projects which contain existing buildings should be objectively assessing the feasibility of retaining products and materials in their current application, prior to consideration of deconstruction or demolition activities.