Abstract
This study analyzes the case study of a deconstruction project called the ‘Whole House Reuse’ (WHR) which aimed, firstly, to harvest materials from a residential house, secondly, to produce new products using the recovered materials, and thirdly, to organize exhibition for the local public to promote awareness on resource conservation and sustainable deconstruction practices. The study applies characterization of recovered materials through deconstruction. In addition to the material recovery, the study assesses the embodied energy saving and greenhouse gas emissions abatement of the deconstruction project. Around twelve tons of various construction materials were harvested through a systematic deconstruction approach, most of which would otherwise be disposed to landfill in the traditional demolition approach. The study estimates that the recovered materials could potentially save around 502,158 MJ of embodied energy and prevent carbon emissions of around 27,029 kg (CO2e). The deconstruction could eventually contribute to New Zealand’s national emission reduction targets. In addition, the project successfully engages local communities and designers to produce 400 new products using the recovered materials and exhibits them to the local people. The study concludes that there is a huge prospect in regard to resource recovery, emission reduction, employment, and small business opportunities using deconstruction of the old house. The sociocultural importance of the WHR project is definitely immense; however, the greater benefits of such projects are often ignored and remain unreported to wider audiences as most of the external and environmental costs are not considered in the traditional linear economy. It is acknowledged that under a favorable market condition and with appropriate support from local communities and authorities, deconstruction could contribute significantly to resource conservation and environmental protection despite its requirement of labor-intensive efforts.
Highlights
The world is using its natural resources at an ever-increasing rate and the annual extraction of primary materials was around 70,000 million tons in 2010 including minerals, ores, biomass, and fossil fuels, which tripled during 1970 to 2010 [1]
This study aims to conceptualize the key challenges and opportunities associated with applying deconstruction of residential buildings in a New Zealand context
A whole-life cycle consideration of the building would be better, this study mainly focuses on the material recovery potential and subsequent socioeconomic and environmental benefits and challenges of the deconstruction approach
Summary
The world is using its natural resources at an ever-increasing rate and the annual extraction of primary materials was around 70,000 million tons in 2010 including minerals, ores, biomass, and fossil fuels, which tripled during 1970 to 2010 [1]. The circulation of global primary materials though trade has grown at an ever-increasing rate over the past four decades and around 10 billion tons of materials were exported globally in 2010 [2]. This rate of resource consumption is not sustainable in the future, given that people in developing countries aspire to enjoy a standard of living similar to that of the world’s developed economies. Further material recovery and reuse from waste has the potential to ease the future demand stress and high dependency on further extraction of primary materials from the natural environment. This study covers an in-depth investigation of an alternative solution to the issue of C&D waste management
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