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BEAM P

LUS FOR

E

XISTING

B

UILDINGS

M

ATERIALS

A

SPECTS

(M

A

)

V

ERSION

1.2

M

A

3 A

DAPTABILITY AND

D

ECONSTRUCTION

Copyright © 2012 BEAM Society Limited. All rights reserved.

Page 53

means of access to the exterior wall system from inside the building

and from outside;

structural floor system that accommodates a number of mechanical

and electrical service distribution schemes based on different

occupancies; and

provision of more than the minimum spatial areas and floor heights,

etc.

B

ACKGROUND

Change of ownership, changing use of premises, changing demography

of family units, future growth and expansion etc., require modifications to

the layout of most types of premises. Large amounts of solid waste can

be generated during the remodelling of premises, such as demolition of

walls and partitions. Designs that allow users flexibility in the layout of

premises and designs that allow for dismantling during deconstruction

can significantly reduce consumption of resources and generation of

waste.

Adaptability refers to the capacity of buildings to accommodate

substantial changes. The concept of adaptability can be broken down

into a number of simple strategies that are familiar to most designers:

flexibility, or enabling minor shifts in space planning;

convertibility, or allowing for changes in use within the building; and

facilitating additions to the quantity of space in a building.

Designs for adaptability can also increase the longevity of buildings,

improve operating performance, and allow more efficient use of space,

yielding economic benefits. The key design principles include

independence of systems within a building, upgradeability of systems

and components, and lifetime compatibility of building components.

Deconstruction is the process of selectively and systematically

disassembling buildings that would otherwise be demolished to generate

a supply of materials suitable for reuse in the construction or

rehabilitation of other structures. Designing for deconstruction facilitates

the salvage of recyclable materials during disassembly. The benefits

include the reduction of pollution impacts, saving landfill space, and

increase in resource and economic efficiency.