Existing Architecture as Source : Embodied Carbon and Heritage of Component Reuse

Reuse of building components has the potential to translate both embodied carbon savings and heritage values from an existing building, requiring a different design process than when designing with only new materials. Circular economy and heritage conservation frameworks inform how the design process might adapt to incorporate reused components. However, these perspectives are often not considered together, which contributes to design outcomes that miss the range of potentials that reused components provide. A thorough documentation of components found in Kerr Hall and its values demonstrates that variations in deconstruction can generate multiple possible inventories. This leads to an iterative design process where the design of the reused inventory and the design of the new building inform each other. This methodology is proposed as a way of better enabling architectural outcomes that are enhanced by both the ecological and heritage value of reused components.<p></p>