Sustainability Action Plan

Case studies

Deconstruction of houses and reuse of materials in Putney and Penryn, UK

Client:
Robot Mother Ltd

Description:
Two large Victorian houses in Putney were systematically deconstructed. The houses were typical construction of the era, i.e. brickwork constructed using lime mortar, timber joists and floorboards. These types of buildings have a high reclamation value in both structural and non-structural elements. The non structural reclaimable elements at Putney included timber doors, York stone paving, granite kerbs and bollards and terracotta copings.

Items Reclaimed:
All of the main building elements were reclaimed. The contractor extracted, processed and sold brickwork alongside the extraction of timber joists, floorboards and doors. BioRegional coordinated the haulage of this timber and the extraction and haulage of York stone paving, granite kerbs and bollards.

Reclaimed: Over 237 tonnes of material
Comment:
BioRegional Reclaimed were contacted early in the demolition process to identify materials with reclamation potential and to advise on their successful extraction. A motivated client and the early involvement of
BioRegional enabled significant rates of reclamation. Materials were often redistributed to the clients of other construction projects. For example, early stages of the building phase of Jubilee Wharf, in Penryn, coincided with the demolition of the Victorian houses in Putney. A key factor in making high levels of reclamation possible was the allocation of a holding area to dry out timber
and to store materials before they were required on-site. Another key factor was a dedicated architect and client.

Reuse:
Jubilee Wharf is a £3.5m ecological development comprising twelve community workshops, six residential units, a community nursery, a café, charity offices and a function hall. It was designed by ZEDfactory Ltd and
BioRegional Reclaimed was contracted to source reclaimed materials. In addition to the granite setts, granite bollards and timberwork that were transported to Jubilee Wharf from Putney; BioRegional sourced additional reclaimed materials, including a maple dance floor and granite kerbs. The process of reclamation was carried out without significant additional cost, even after the timber boards had been treated for increased fire safety.

Click here to download a PDF of BioRegional’s Reclamation Led Approach to Demolition report

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