What is Deconstruction?

By Joe Rettman & Mark Rabkin, Deconstruction Management, Inc.

Deconstruction is the comprehensive dismantlement of building components, specifically for re-use, re-sale, recycling and waste management.  Deconstruction has also been defined as “construction in reverse” because of its careful and methodical disassembly of a structure.  Compared to traditional demolition in which a structure is torn down as quickly as possible and waste is deposited into commercial landfills, careful consideration is given during deconstruction to waste re-direction through the entire process.  Deconstruction focuses on giving salvageable materials a new life once the building as a whole can no longer continue and addresses appropriate disposal of waste.

There are numerous financial, social and environmental benefits of deconstruction: 

• Property owners are able to recoup funds through the sale of architectural salvage.
• Deconstruction has the opportunity to provide the local economy with needed employment opportunities by offering a basic trade skill with very low barriers to entry. 
• Developers have the chance to demonstrate their environmental sustainability through strategic waste redirection and achieve financial benefit through reduced overhead as well as a direct return on their investment. 
• Communities in which a building deconstruction takes place will reduce their environmental footprint and parties involved can improve their company image through effective communication of corporate social responsibility. 
• Owners can save money by diverting waste from landfills to reusable materials for resale. 

The construction industry’s history of waste management is not environmentally or economically sustainable as global expansion accelerates into the new millennium.  If resource conservation and alternative waste disposal methods do not replace the landfill-based system for construction and demolition debris, then our world community will be dealing with more than just finding a new place to put waste. 

About the Author:

• Deconstruction Management, Inc. is a construction management consulting firm that generates revenue through the oversight and administration of a building’s deconstruction project from start to finish.  Their services include evaluation of deconstruction potential through pre-acquisition feasibility study, manage on-site all deconstruction subcontractors, itemize reusable and recyclable building components, broker re-sale of salvaged architectural building materials, and foster and promote workforce development opportunities within local communities.
• Mark Rabkin, President, and Joe Rettman, Vice President, can be reached via email at  mark@deconmanagement.com and jrettman@deconmanagement.com, respectively.