Professor Jerry Hajjar to focus on deconstruction with new grant.
Professor Jerry Hajjar who has spent much of his career studying the effects of earthquakes on buildings and bridges turns his focus towards Design for Deconstruction under the auspices of a $250,000 dollar grant from the National Science Foundation. The professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northeastern University is teaming with structural engineer Mark Webster of the firm Simpson Gumpertz & Heger to study how aging buildings can be systematically dismantled and the materials can be reused back into the new structure versus just being recycled. This is the type of thinking that can lead to finding new ways to close the loop on some of the economic barriers to more widespread deconstruction practices.
“The basic concept is this: At the end of the useful life of a building, instead of demolishing it and recycling the materials, we think about whether we can deconstruct it and refabricate”
“I prefer to think of it as augmenting our earthquake research.” “We’ve been developing new systems to make structures safer, more economical and more secure. A long overdue component for structural engineering is sustainability.” says Hajjar
Offsetting costs by reusing materials into replacement structures can impact more than just the material costs themselves and could have other positive environmental effects by taking advantage of the materials’ inherent embodied energy while reducing reprocessing and shipping costs. This is why making deconstruction an integral part of upfront development plans versus a feel-good afterthought once demolition has begun can begin to make economic and environmental sense.
Hajjar and Webster are also investigating new materials and construction techniques and will be testing their ability to withstand extreme stresses at the Laboratory for Structural Testing of Resilient and Sustainable Systems, or STReSS lab, at the George J. Kostas Institute for Homeland Security in Burlington, MA. Designing new buildings with future deconstruction in mind is the path to a more sustainable future. This type of research will help make deconstruction a more viable alternative to demolition in the years to come. You can read more about Professor Hajjar in an article by Angela Herring here.
Steel Foam is just one of the new materials being investigated.
Proposed Design for Deconstruction detail courtesy of Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
via Zite, steelfoam.org, News@Northeastern
12×12: Twelve Designers – Twelve Buildings
Bellboy Chair made from NYC water tower redwood
12×12 was a recent exhibition during NYC design week that showcased 12 contemporary furniture designers using materials reclaimed from 12 NYC buildings. The event was held at WantedDesign and was sponsored by our friends at Sawkill Lumber and Build it Green along with 3rd Ward. The event shows how great design can be enhanced with a historical narrative while adding intrinsic value that makes each piece truly one of a kind. Allowing history to live on through design is what D-Build was founded upon and it is exciting to see other like minded designers taking our lead. Each piece that was exhibited is tied to a rich and colorful history from the American Express stables in Soho to the Coney Island Boardwalk. In addition to the great exhibit there is also a nicely done website that profiles the designers and deconstructed buildings where the materials came from. The pieces could also be purchased through a silent auction that benefited Brooklyn Woods that ran through the end of DesignWeek. Hats off to everyone involved. Here are some additional photos from the show.
The exhibition at WantedDesign
Louis Lim "Round & Round"
Design Brigade - Coney Island Low Table
Via Core77, 12×12, Sawkill Lumber Co, Build it Green, Brooklyn Woods