Building Revolutions

03. Built to last?

We build to endure, to resist time, although we know that ultimately time will win. What previous generations erected for eternity, we demolish.

N. J. Habraken

When a new building is being designed and constructed, it is hard to imagine that it will one day be demolished. It is harder still to expend the time and effort to think about whether the building can be designed so that the materials and components can be reclaimed for reuse or recycling at the end-of-life.

Commercial buildings are often refurbished or demolished before their structure and fabric fails. The reasons for demolition are more likely to be related to changing land values, lack of suitability of the building for current needs or lack of maintenance of ...