Tacoma, Wash., recently initiated a study to find ways to increase building material reuse through deconstruction and salvage.
The city council unanimously voted to direct the city manager to investigate deconstruction options and estimate costs. The study will focus on devising salvage assessments that identify reuse cases for recovered building materials and identify ways to reduce deconstruction costs and shorten timelines.
Tacoma joins several cities including Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, and San Antonio that are developing programs to recover, reuse, and recycle building materials from buildings that are slated to be torn down. Portland, Oregon, already has a deconstruction ordinance on the books. That city requires buildings constructed before 1940 to be deconstructed rather than demolished.
Proponents for a similar ordinance in Tacoma cited several benefits: a higher likelihood of finding and safely disposing hazardous materials, limiting air pollution resulting from demolition, and reusing historic building materials to build new structures that reflect existing architectural styles. Opponents cited concerns over longer project timelines that would result from the proposal.
Related Stories
| Apr 30, 2012
HSA Commercial selected as consultant for Orland Park’s Main Street Triangle project
HSA will be responsible for designing an overall mixed-use merchandise plan, attracting a unique retail tenant mix and completing leases with prospective tenants.
| Apr 30, 2012
Gilbane to manage retrofit of the Fraunhofer CSE R&B structure
Building is a first-of-its-kind research and demonstration building for sustainable technologies in Boston's Innovation District.
| Apr 30, 2012
KBE Building completes renovation at the ConnCAT
The $1.2 million project consisted of a 16,000-sf interior renovation.
| Apr 27, 2012
APA launches wood design web portal for building and design pros
Design professionals who are members of APA’s Professional Associates are automatically enrolled in the APA Designers Circle program.
| Apr 27, 2012
China Mobile selects Leo A Daly to design three buildings at its new HQ
LEO A DALY, in collaboration with Local Design Institute WDCE, wins competition to design Phase 2, Plot B, of Campus.
| Apr 26, 2012
USGBC announces inaugural Green Apple Day of Service
On Sept. 29, 2012, participants from all over the world will volunteer to make the schools and campuses in their communities healthier and more sustainable.
| Apr 26, 2012
Gensler's Leiserowitz: Employs holistic philosophy to foster clients' creativity, comfort
Leiserowitz became regional managing principal in Chicago for San Francisco-based architecture and design giant Gensler a little more than a year ago.
| Apr 26, 2012
Energy efficiency requirements heighten the importance of proper protection for roofing systems
Now more than ever, a well-insulated and well protected roof is critical in new or renovated commercial buildings.
| Apr 25, 2012
Bubble skyscraper design aims to purify drinking water
The Freshwater Skyscraper will address the issue of increasing water scarcity through a process known as transpiration
| Apr 25, 2012
Thornton Tomasetti/Fore Solutions provides consulting for Biologics Support Center
Project receives LEED Gold Certification.
