Deconstruction Detroit: A [RE]generation Strategy from HAA on Vimeo.

Last week, over 150 people gathered at Recycle Here! for the most recent installment in the lecturesHAA series. The event brought together representatives from Architectural Salvage Warehouse, C3LL3C, Recycle Here!, University of Detroit Mercy, and Design Evolution Workshop to discuss Deconstruction as an approach to managing Detroit’s many vacant and abandoned buildings. Each panelist began with a brief presentation framing his specific role in and approach to the deconstruction process. The presentations were followed by a panel discussion which both affirmed the position of Deconstruction within Detroit, as well as exposed the challenges facing the industry here and elsewhere.

The conversation ranged from the techniques and tactics involved in dismantling structures, to its economic feasibility and related public policy. The dialogue exposed the negative ecological impact of traditional demolition practices and demonstrated how Deconstruction and recycling techniques offer a sustainable alternative. Yet it also exposed the obstacles facing the Deconstruction industry as it competes with demolition. Because it is a labor intensive process, Deconstruction generally takes longer and is therefore more costly than traditional practices. And so it was with both optimism toward deconstruction’s possibilities and a realistic understanding of its difficulties that the evening unfolded. Though it was clear it will be some time before Deconstruction becomes a mainstream alternative to demolition, the passion and enthusiasm of the panelists and audience alike were testament to a collective belief in the value of this burgeoning industry.

Nature as Commodity
In the mid to late 1800s, the great lakes region was known for its vast of timber resources. At the time, Michigan white pine was an essential commodity both in the development of east coast cities as well as the populations spreading into the frontier regions of the west. The conceptual transformation of the natural world into commodity pervades the history, rapid growth, and development of the great lakes region. The lumber industry which transformed much of the region from dense tracts of forest into cleared agricultural land also enabled the regional population explosion that followed.

At the time, the commodities exchange of Chicago became uniquely poised to collect, store and distribute vast quantities of wood from northern areas to the plains. As William Cronon writes in Nature’s Metropolis “Ecology and Economy had converged: the city lay not only on the border between forest and grassland but also on the happy margin between supply and demand.”

City as Natural Resource
In many rustbelt cities, buildings left abandoned have become transformed from one commodity to another. From icons of failed real estate speculation, the built environment has now become a resource similar to the dense forests that once populated these areas. Deconstruction provides an opportunity to reclaim those materials which would otherwise end up in a landfill for use either in the construction of new buildings, as fuel, or even recycled as art objects. Buildings are now surveyed not only for their historical value and architectural significance, but as a composition of resources of various values in the materials market.

According to the Deconstruction Institute, the demolition of a typical 2,000 square foot home can be expected to produce 127 tons of debris. Meanwhile, that same house if deconstructed properly can yield 6,000 board feet of reusable lumber, which is equivalent to 33 mature trees, or the yearly output of 10 acres. In addition to wood, the vast majority of building materials can be recycled in some way or another if properly handled and separated. However, under current regulations and because of Michigan’s low waste disposal fees, Deconstruction has yet to become an economically viable alternative to demolition.

Constructing Value
Part of the challenge facing the panelists is to educate the public to the economic, ecological, and social advantages to Deconstruction. For example, while Deconstruction is labor intensive, and therefore costly relative to demolition, it also creates jobs. On average, deconstruction laborers earn an average of $1.90 more per square foot than demolition laborers. On a typical 2,000 square foot house, this equates to 38 more worker-days at a living wage than would be provided by demolition. Job creation and the resale of materials allows deconstruction to compete with demolition in areas where landfill ‘tipping fees’ are high. In Michigan where these fees are the lowest in the region, there is little financial incentive to seek alternate means of waste management. Therefore it is important that policies be considered which incentivize industries like Deconstruction while encouraging recycling and better waste management practices.

Beyond the financial hurdles, however, there is the inherent social and environmental value in seeking responsible alternatives to landfills. With a high density of vacant buildings awaiting demolition, Detroit is uniquely poised to serve as both resource and distribution center for this growing industry.  Abundant, affordable warehouse space and access to rail lines could link Detroit’s Deconstruction efforts with a greater context, helping to cultivate the market for recycled materials at multiple scales. Related businesses could emerge- builders, furniture makers, artists, craftspeople – which incorporate raw recycled materials into their products, adding an intrinsic history and narrative to their work. Likewise, this expanded presence could position Detroit as a regional leader in sustainable stewardship as the city continues to address its urban condition.