SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE

Materials and Resources - III

DR AVLOKITA AGRAWAL
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING

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 Embodied Energy
Embodied energy = the sum of energy inputs to make a product
- For full cradle-to-grave cycle, energy inputs from:
• Extraction of raw materials
• Transportation to factory
• Manufacture of product / components
• Assembly of product / system
• Transportation to site / point of sale
• Installation / construction
• Maintenance
• Replacement
• Disposal / re-purposing / recycling

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 Embodied Energy
Embodied energy for building materials is often measured cradle-to-grave
(extraction, transportation, manufacture, packaging, installation, end of life
disposal)

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Embodied Energy

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 Building reuse
maintain existing walls, floors, and roof

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 Terms and Definitions
• Reused area is the total area of the building structure, core, and envelope
that existed in the prior condition and remains in the completed design.

• Retained components are portions of the finished ceilings, finished floors,

full-height walls and demountable partitions, interior doors, and built-in
case goods that existed in the prior condition area and remain in the
completed design.

• Adaptive reuse is the renovation of a space for a purpose different from

the original.

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 Building reuse - Structural
• To extend the life cycle of existing
building stock, conserve resources,
retain cultural resources, reduce waste
and reduce environmental impacts of
new buildings as they relate to
materials manufacturing and transport.
• Use existing structural elements in at
least 50% (by area) of the completed
building, including additions.

Image Source: http://comptonllc.com

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 Environmental Issues
• Building reuse is a very effective
strategy for reducing the overall
environmental impact of
construction.
• Reusing existing buildings significantly
reduces the energy use associated
with the demolition process as well as
construction waste.
• Reuse strategies also reduce
environmental impacts associated
with raw material extraction, Image Source: horizonmarineconstruction.com
manufacturing, and transportation.

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 Economic Issues
• Although retrofitting an existing
building to accommodate new
program , can add to the
complexity of design and
construction—reflected in the
project’s soft costs—reuse of
existing components can reduce
the cost of construction
substantially.

Image Source: https://architects4design.com

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 Building Reuse - tasks
• If the project will reuse part of an
existing building, inventory of the
existing conditions needs to be
prepared.
• The architect should develop a floor
plan showing the location of existing
structural components, exterior and
partition walls, and exterior windows
and doors.
• The drawings should be detailed
enough to determine the surface area
of all elements to be reused. Image Credits: STEPHANIE E. CALVET - WordPress.com

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 Calculations
• Take measurements as if preparing a bid
for construction of a building.
• For structural floors and roof decking,
calculate the square footage of each
component.
• For existing exterior walls and existing walls
adjoining other buildings or additions,
calculate the square footage of the exterior
wall only and subtract the area of exterior
windows and exterior doors from both the
existing and the reused area tallies. Image Source: www.aiatopten.org/node/460
• For interior structural walls (e.g., shear
walls), calculate the square footage of 1
side of the existing wall element.

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 Calculations
• Sample Building Structure and Envelope Re-use Calculation

Exclude the following items from this calculation: non-structural roofing material, window assemblies, structural and envelope materials
that are deemed structurally unsound, hazardous materials, and materials that pose a contamination risk to building occupants.

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 Building reuse
Maintain interior non-structural elements

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Building Reuse: Interior non-structural elements
• To extend the life cycle of existing
building stock, conserve resources,
retain cultural resources, reduce
waste and reduce environmental
impacts of new buildings as they
relate to materials manufacturing
and transport.

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 Compliance Criteria
• Use existing interior non-structural elements (e.g., interior walls, doors, floor coverings and
ceiling systems) in at least 50% (by area) of the completed building, including additions.
• Consider reusing existing building structures, envelopes and interior non-structural elements.
• Remove elements that pose a contamination risk to building occupants, and upgrade
components that would improve energy and water efficiency such as mechanical systems and
plumbing fixtures. Quantify the extent of building reuse.
• Confirm that the items designated for reuse can be reused and take the necessary steps to
retain and maintain them in the finished work.
• Fixed items, such as non-structural walls and doors, are included in this credit and count
toward the percentage of reuse when they perform the same function (e.g., doors reused as
doors).

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 Timeline and Team
• As a design strategy, building reuse has significant impact on all phases of a project, from schematic
design through bidding and construction.

• During schematic design, the architect and owner should identify non-structural building materials
that can be retained and reused.

• The specifications for bid, developed by the architect in consultation with the owner, should outline
measures to preserve the building during the construction process, and these should be
implemented with project-team oversight.

• Inventory the existing conditions. The architect should develop a floor plan showing the location of
finished ceilings and flooring, interior wall partitions, doors within the interior walls, exterior and
party walls, and exterior windows and doors.

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 Calculations
• Prepare a spreadsheet listing all interior non-structural elements within the
building. Quantify each item and then determine the total area, including new
construction and the area of retained elements, in square feet.
• Determine the percentage of existing elements that are retained by dividing the
total area of all retained interior non-structural elements by the total area of
interior non-structural elements.

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 Calculations
• Take measurements as if preparing a bid for
flooring, ceiling, or painting:
• Finished ceilings and flooring areas (tile,
carpeting, etc.). Use square footage to determine
area
• Interior non-structural walls. Determine the
finished area between floor and ceiling and
count both sides
• Exterior structural and party walls. If the interior
finishes (e.g., drywall and plaster) have been
reused, count only 1 side
• Interior doors. Count surface area once
• Interior casework. Calculate the visible surface
area of the assembly; see the example in Figure 1

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 Calculations
Sample Interior Nonstructural Reuse Calculation

• The total area of all new and existing building

materials (following construction) is
determined. The total area of only the existing
and reused components is then entered. The
sum of the existing materials is then divided by
the sum of the total building materials to
obtain the overall percentage of retained
components.

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Materials Reuse

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 Terms and Defenitions
• Refurbished materials are products that could have been disposed of as solid waste. These
products have completed their life cycle as consumer items and are then refurbished for reuse
without substantial alteration of their form. Refurbishing includes renovating, repairing, restoring,
or generally improving the appearance, performance, quality, functionality, or value of a product.

• Re-manufactured materials are items that are made into other products. One example is concrete
that is crushed and used as sub-base.

• Salvaged materials or reused materials are construction materials recovered from existing
buildings or construction sites and reused. Common salvaged materials include structural beams
and posts, flooring, doors, cabinetry, brick, and decorative items.

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 Materials Reuse
• To reuse building materials and
products to reduce demand for
virgin materials and reduce waste,
thereby lessening impacts
associated with the extraction and
processing of virgin resources.

• Use salvaged, refurbished or reused

materials, the sum of which
constitutes at least 5%, based on
cost, of the total value of materials
on the project. Broken bricks being used for paving, Project : Tatva, Indore, Source: IGBC

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 Environmental Issues
• Many existing materials can be salvaged,
refurbished, or reused.
• Reuse strategies divert material from the
construction waste stream, reducing the need
for landfill space and environmental impacts
from associated water and air contamination.
• Use of salvaged materials also avoids the
environmental impacts of producing new
construction products and materials.
• These impacts are significant because buildings home made of two shipping containers
account for a large portion of natural resource
consumption, including 40% of raw stone,
gravel, and sand as well as 25% of virgin wood.

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 Economic Issues
• Although some salvaged materials are more costly than new
materials because of the high cost of labor involved in
recovering and refurbishing processes, local demolition
companies may be willing to sell materials recovered from
existing buildings to avoid landfill tipping fees and to
generate income.
• In some areas, municipalities and waste management
companies have established facilities for selling salvaged
building materials at landfill sites.
• Sometimes, salvaged materials are offered at prices that
appear to be cost-effective but may include hidden costs,
such as the need for reprocessing, excessive transportation
costs, or liabilities associated with toxic contamination. Makayla Cavanagh used salvaged lumber from a construction
• Conversely, certain salvaged materials may be impossible to site, several old buildings, and a local store that sells
duplicate (e.g., turn-of-the century lumber and casework) reclaimed materials. Source: Architectural Digest

and may be worth the higher cost compared with new

materials.

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 On-site and Off-site Materials
• Reused materials found on-site.
Components that are retained and
continue to serve their original function,
such as door hardware, are eligible for
this credit.
• Reusable materials eligible for this credit
are not limited to items found within the
project building. Materials obtained off-
site qualify as reused if they have been
previously used. These materials may be
purchased as salvaged, similar to any
other project material, or they may be
relocated from another facility, including
ones previously used by the occupant.
Marble scrap used for flooring

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 Calculations

Sample Salvaged Materials Tracking Log

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Thank you

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