Deconstruction and Adaptive Reuse: DE-construct to RE-construct
Keywords: Deconstruction, recycle, demolition, waste, sustainable, environment, materials reuse, building reuse, structure reuse, redevelopment, disassembly, adapted reuse.
Abstract: Our lands are filled with abandoned buildings and old structures. Many of these places stay vacant and unused or face demolition and end up in land fills. What happens when the demolition takes place? One, the construction industry in this process generates huge amounts of waste (25—45% of the national waste stream. EPA, 1998) and two, the materials that could have been reused or recycled for the new construction are lost. A way to approach this issue could be in the form of a ideological technical and designed “deconstruction”. This paper will try to clarify the real meaning of the word DE-construction, defines the meaning of deconstruction and how can it be applied and creates a link with the RE-construction of Adaptive Reuse projects.
Case studies:
- Big dig house (Boston)
- Shipping Containers Playground (San Francisco)
- Jean Prouvè House (France)
- Ocean scope (Sunset Observatory) South Korea
by Maria Martins
Principle of Adaptive Reuse 