Build Reuse - General

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Case Studies - Deconstruction Projects

Project name

Richmond lawn bowling clubhouse

Location Richmond, VA
Building type Bowling clubhouse from the 1960s
Building size 204-square meter (2,200-square foot)
Leading Organization Burnaby-based Vema Deconstruction
Partner Organizations
  • N/A
Deconstructed/reclaimed materials
  • 28,000 lbs of lumber
Next use of reclaimed materials Donated to Habitat for Humanity. Habitat "will sell the donated materials to fund home construction."
Motivation
City of Richmond sustainability pilot project
Link
Additional notes

Building design: "The original clubhouse was built like a log cabin with all cedar wood and the pieces of wood were all slotted into each other instead of using nails." "Older buildings often used old-growth trees, which resulted in 60 per cent heavier, denser and sturdier lumber, in comparison to softer materials like spruce and fir from younger trees in newer homes."

Labor-hours: It took a week to deconstruct.

Project name

Catherine Commons Deconstruction Project - 206 College Avenue

Location Ithaca, NY
Building type Residential (house) built in early 1900s
Building size 420-square meter (4,500-square foot), 13-bedroom structure
Leading Organization

Cornell University Circular Construction Lab

Cornell University Department of Architecture

Partner Organizations
  • Finger Lakes Reuse and Trade Design Build
  • Building Deconstruction Institute (Seattle-based)
  • Local Laborers 785
  • Trade Design Build
  • Finger Lakes ReUse
  • Historic Ithaca / Significant Elements
  • Susan Christopherson Center for Community Planning
  •  John Novarr & partners
  • Just Places Lab
  • Beck Equipment
  • Ithaca Urban Timber Salvage
  • Arnot Realty,
  • Tompkins County,
  • City of Ithaca
  • Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency 
  • Engaged Cornell Public Purpose Grant CI:RCLE
  • And others, including volunteers!
Deconstructed/reclaimed materials
  • Panels of roof, walls and floor as large as 8 by 18 feet
  • 18,000 pounds of structural members
Next use of reclaimed materials Resold 
Motivation
Case study
Link
Additional notes

Deconstruction method: Panelized deconstruction (incorporates the use of heavy machinery in an effort to minimize time on-site by relocating specific steps to off-site locations)

Studies: Documented and Cataloged the existing structures for their reuse and deconstruction potential, using a newly developed Deconstruction and Salvage Survey Toolkit (ScanR S&D Survey); side-by-side comparison of demolition and deconstruction processes on almost identical buildings within the same economic setting

Labor-hours: Took a crew of eight workers 5 days. 

Project name

Baltimore City Deconstruction Project

Location Baltimore, MD
Building type Residential buildings; dated 1880 to 1910
Building size Multiple buildings
Partner Organizations Collaboration between Humanim, Inc., and city and government partners.
Deconstructed/reclaimed materials Bricks, lumber 
Next use of reclaimed materials Cleaned/denailed; remanufactured into siding, flooring, wall cladding, furniture; resold by reuse store Brick + Board
Motivation
"... transform once-blighted blocks of dilapidated, vacant houses in Baltimore’s inner city into thriving green space."
Link
Official video posted by Mutual of America Foundation:
Additional notes

"The Baltimore City Deconstruction Project... [is] hiring and training local residents, many who were formerly incarcerated, to take apart these buildings, piece-by- piece, and then salvaging bricks and boards for resale."

This project was supported by the Mutual of American Financial Group.

This project appears to be part of a larger project called Project C.O.R.E., which aims to address blight through demolition, deconstruction, and revitalization of certain Baltimore neighborhoods.   https://dhcd.maryland.gov/ProjectCORE/Pages/default.aspx

Other resources: 

  • Lifecycle Building Challenge - Case Studies
    • Description: Navigate to the "Case Studies" section of the link below for eight different deconstruction project case studies.
      • Six House Building Deconstruction Case Study: Reuse and Recycling of Building Materials, 2000, by Bradley Guy, Powell Center for Construction and Environment for Alachua County Solid Wastes Management Innovative Recycling Project Program 
      • ReStore Deconstruction Case Study: 1940 Barn, 2006, by Erin Marden for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
      • ReStore Deconstruction Case Study: Commercial Building circa 1970s, 2006, by Erin Marden for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
      • ReStore Deconstruction Case Study: Residential Dwelling, Circa 1970s, 2006, by Erin Marden for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
      • ReStore Deconstruction Case Study: Residential House, Circa 1950s, 2006, by Erin Marden for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
      • Don't Demolish That Building - Deconstruct It, College Planning & Management, June 2002, by Marisa Miller Hegyesi, University of Texas Health Science Center; Brian K. Yeoman, University of Texas Health Science Center 
      • Housing Deconstruction - Building Disassembly and Material Salvage: The Riverdale Case Study, 1997, by Eric Lund and Peter Yost, NAHB Research Center, Inc. 
      • The Urban and Economic Development Division Naval Air Station Alameda Deconstruction Case Study, 1999, by Lisa Geller, Materials for the Future Foundation for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9
    • Link: https://www.lifecyclebuilding.org/resources.php

Case Studies - Deconstruction Projects

Project name

Richmond lawn bowling clubhouse

Location Richmond, VA
Building type Bowling clubhouse from the 1960s
Building size 204-square meter (2,200-square foot)
Leading Organization Burnaby-based Vema Deconstruction
Partner Organizations
  • N/A
Deconstructed/reclaimed materials
  • 28,000 lbs of lumber
Next use of reclaimed materials Donated to Habitat for Humanity. Habitat "will sell the donated materials to fund home construction."
Motivation
City of Richmond sustainability pilot project
Link
Additional notes

Building design: "The original clubhouse was built like a log cabin with all cedar wood and the pieces of wood were all slotted into each other instead of using nails." "Older buildings often used old-growth trees, which resulted in 60 per cent heavier, denser and sturdier lumber, in comparison to softer materials like spruce and fir from younger trees in newer homes."

Labor-hours: It took a week to deconstruct.

Project name

Catherine Commons Deconstruction Project - 206 College Avenue

Location Ithaca, NY
Building type Residential (house) built in early 1900s
Building size 420-square meter (4,500-square foot), 13-bedroom structure
Leading Organization

Cornell University Circular Construction Lab

Cornell University Department of Architecture

Partner Organizations
  • Finger Lakes Reuse and Trade Design Build
  • Building Deconstruction Institute (Seattle-based)
  • Local Laborers 785
  • Trade Design Build
  • Finger Lakes ReUse
  • Historic Ithaca / Significant Elements
  • Susan Christopherson Center for Community Planning
  •  John Novarr & partners
  • Just Places Lab
  • Beck Equipment
  • Ithaca Urban Timber Salvage
  • Arnot Realty,
  • Tompkins County,
  • City of Ithaca
  • Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency 
  • Engaged Cornell Public Purpose Grant CI:RCLE
  • And others, including volunteers!
Deconstructed/reclaimed materials
  • Panels of roof, walls and floor as large as 8 by 18 feet
  • 18,000 pounds of structural members
Next use of reclaimed materials Resold 
Motivation
Case study
Link
Additional notes

Deconstruction method: Panelized deconstruction (incorporates the use of heavy machinery in an effort to minimize time on-site by relocating specific steps to off-site locations)

Studies: Documented and Cataloged the existing structures for their reuse and deconstruction potential, using a newly developed Deconstruction and Salvage Survey Toolkit (ScanR S&D Survey); side-by-side comparison of demolition and deconstruction processes on almost identical buildings within the same economic setting

Labor-hours: Took a crew of eight workers 5 days. 

Project name

Baltimore City Deconstruction Project

Location Baltimore, MD
Building type Residential buildings; dated 1880 to 1910
Building size Multiple buildings
Partner Organizations Collaboration between Humanim, Inc., and city and government partners.
Deconstructed/reclaimed materials Bricks, lumber 
Next use of reclaimed materials Cleaned/denailed; remanufactured into siding, flooring, wall cladding, furniture; resold by reuse store Brick + Board
Motivation
"... transform once-blighted blocks of dilapidated, vacant houses in Baltimore’s inner city into thriving green space."
Link
Official video posted by Mutual of America Foundation:
Additional notes

"The Baltimore City Deconstruction Project... [is] hiring and training local residents, many who were formerly incarcerated, to take apart these buildings, piece-by- piece, and then salvaging bricks and boards for resale."

This project was supported by the Mutual of American Financial Group.

This project appears to be part of a larger project called Project C.O.R.E., which aims to address blight through demolition, deconstruction, and revitalization of certain Baltimore neighborhoods.   https://dhcd.maryland.gov/ProjectCORE/Pages/default.aspx

Other resources: 

  • Lifecycle Building Challenge - Case Studies
    • Description: Navigate to the "Case Studies" section of the link below for eight different deconstruction project case studies.
      • Six House Building Deconstruction Case Study: Reuse and Recycling of Building Materials, 2000, by Bradley Guy, Powell Center for Construction and Environment for Alachua County Solid Wastes Management Innovative Recycling Project Program 
      • ReStore Deconstruction Case Study: 1940 Barn, 2006, by Erin Marden for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
      • ReStore Deconstruction Case Study: Commercial Building circa 1970s, 2006, by Erin Marden for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
      • ReStore Deconstruction Case Study: Residential Dwelling, Circa 1970s, 2006, by Erin Marden for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
      • ReStore Deconstruction Case Study: Residential House, Circa 1950s, 2006, by Erin Marden for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
      • Don't Demolish That Building - Deconstruct It, College Planning & Management, June 2002, by Marisa Miller Hegyesi, University of Texas Health Science Center; Brian K. Yeoman, University of Texas Health Science Center 
      • Housing Deconstruction - Building Disassembly and Material Salvage: The Riverdale Case Study, 1997, by Eric Lund and Peter Yost, NAHB Research Center, Inc. 
      • The Urban and Economic Development Division Naval Air Station Alameda Deconstruction Case Study, 1999, by Lisa Geller, Materials for the Future Foundation for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9
    • Link: https://www.lifecyclebuilding.org/resources.php