Transformable Building Structures: Design for Disassembly (2006)

From the doctoral dissertation introduction. Observers of current and future trends predict that the 21st century is the beginning of an era that will be defined by temporary, multi-functional, and virtual organisations. The nature of working and living will change drastically such that society will require completely new types of structures. Besides the dynamic changes within society, another factor that indicates the need for an alternative way of building is the pattern of use of natural resources within the construction industry — a pattern which has proven to be unsustainable. Recent estimates indicate that existing buildings account for 2/5 of the world’s annual energy use, one sixth of its water consumption, and one half of its waste stream. The World Resource Institute projects a 300% rise in energy and material use as world population and economic activity increases over the next fifty years. The physical impact of an increasing building mass in the industrialised and developing world becomes undeniable in the 21st century.

The main question of sustainable building is how to find a balance between the increasing dynamics of change, which is related to the increased resources consumption, and the key principles of sustainable engineering (such as; conceiving natural resources, saving energy, reducing waste, etc). Many studies have recognised that this can be achieved by extending the life cycle of buildings and their materials.

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