Rethinking Reuse

How Incorporating the Basic Principals of Reused Materials and Techniques into Building Design Positively Impacts the Environment

By Anita Ledbetter

When we hear the term “reuse,” typically we think of recycled products and materials; however it is important to expand our concept beyond just materials.  Fundamentally, the term “reuse” refers to a concept and working principal of sustainability.  Without incorporating this concept into green building as a whole, true sustainability cannot be realized.  We can design a building with recycled products, and still waste many resources in construction and performance, and not truly achieve a green building.

Let’s look at some of the environmental impacts of traditional buildings, materials, and construction processes.  According to the U.S. Green Building Council, “both commercial and residential buildings account 136 million tons of construction and demolition waste annually.”  Using materials that contain a high-recycled content and using materials that are easily and readily recycled removes from the waste stream materials ordinarily destined for the landfill. For example, “using recycled steel saves 60 percent of construction waste, while saving 5,450 BTUs of energy per pound through avoiding the processing of raw steel.”1

Reuse is a primary concept in green building practice. The total environmental cost of incorporating this concept along with other green building strategies, in whole considered as “lifecycle cost” helps to determine the depth of environmental impact.  In other words, whether a building is “pale green” or “deep green” is determined to a great extent by whether the building incorporates reuse and recycle strategies. The reuse of materials saves energy, reduces pollution and waste through avoiding processing raw materials, and also decreases the demand on natural resources.  Reducing or eliminating materials from the waste stream through recycled material selection and sustainable construction techniques extends the life of landfills while reducing the refinement of raw materials.  Using locally-available reused products when possible reduces air and water pollution because they require less energy to produce and transport.

Two examples of reused materials and their many benefits are UltraTouch recycled denim batt insulation and Agriboard structural insulation panels, which are on display at The Metropolitan Partnership for Energy’s office; a showcase of sustainable building products, technologies and techniques designed by Stephen Colley/Architecture, AIA.

Bonded Logic, Inc. is the manufacturer of UltraTouch natural cotton fiber insulation.  This product is made of recycled denim and is a great substitute for fiberglass batt insulation. With an identical R-rating to fiberglass batt, UltraTouch is environmentally safe, does not cause itching or skin irritation, resists mold and mildew, is Class-A fire rated, works well as acoustical insulation, and is easy to install.  Where the majority of structural insulation panels use virgin polystyrene, AgriBoard structural insulation panel’s core is made of agricultural cuttings that would otherwise be discarded. Wheat and other grain cuttings are treated to resist pest infestation, mold, and fire. This material is compressed very tightly and bonded to an external "skin" of oriented strand board.  Agriboard walls are designed for exterior wall construction and have been tested at the labs of Texas Tech University to resist damage from tornados.

By incorporating the concept of reuse into the design of a building, an architect considers not only construction materials, but also site selection, landscaping, mechanical and electrical systems, energy exchange, and minimizing waste in the construction process.  The redevelopment and reuse of land has significant environmental impacts.  For example, transforming an existing parking lot into a permeable parking surface reduces the amount of impermeable ground cover that will allow natural water runoff into our rivers, streams, and groundwater systems.  Reusing and incorporating into the site plan existing native trees and plants saves time, costs, and construction waste.  In addition, the presence of these plants increases the value of the property and can provide shade to reduce operational costs.

Another example of innovative resource reuse is finding uses for leftover construction materials on the jobsite that traditionally are discarded.  Incorporating waste audits for construction processes will identify these potentials and will save landfill space, pollution from transportation, and waste removal costs.  The reuse of water in buildings is another area of opportunity.  For example, capturing condensation from HVAC systems or creating a rainwater harvesting system not only saves water and energy, but also saves water utility costs.  Incorporating heat recovery systems reduces harmful air emissions by lowering the demand on natural gas supplies or electricity generation from our power plants.  Using renewable energy sources such as solar energy, geothermal, and wind energy are strategies to reuse the energy that the sun is already sending our way.

Your challenge as architects is to look beyond the traditional definitions of reuse to incorporate it as a design principal.  In the not so distant past, “green building,” or incorporating recycled products, oftentimes meant extra effort and expense.  This has changed, as these products and techniques have become more readily available at reduced costs.  The future is here, and in short, true “reuse” based design looks at the entire lifecycle of a building from inception to completion, to adaptation, and to reclamation for ways to decrease negative impact on the environment while producing a healthier and more efficient building.