Building Reuse

The sustainability of a site is improved when an existing structure can be reused.  Searle Chemistry Laboratory was renovated from the former lab building, using 95% of the existing walls, roof, and floors which both minimized waste and the need for new materials.

Material Reuse

Materials reused from the existing building are best but reusing materials salvaged from other sites is also a good choice.  The Midway studios are a recent example.  They were partially deconstructed during preparation for construction of the Logan Arts Center.  Materials from the deconstruction of the studios went to reuse and resale.  Another example is the slate pavers from former walkways that are now used for a variety of landscaping projects on campus such as the planters in Regenstein Library’s entry garden and in front of Crerar Library.

Recycled Content and Recycling

Many building materials can be made of recycled content. Everything from drywall containing a high content of recycled gypsum, to glass and many types of flooring use recycled content. LEED certification includes both recycling collection within the building as well as recycling of construction waste.

In the Illinois Bell Building carpeting is made from recycled nylon fibers. Staff furniture was all regionally sourced and made from recycled materials. Use of flexible and reusable office and wall construction for offices and conference rooms in both the Illinois Bell Building as well as Searle Chemistry Laboratories make future renovation easy and less wasteful. Nutrient and material (re)cycling is another major ecological principle. Material is conserved by the continual reuse of materials and the transfer of those materials between organic and inorganic states through biogeochemical cycles. Organic and inorganic materials cycle through the system appearing in different locations and forms through time. Waste disposal is seldom an issue in a functioning ecosystem as the output from one system is used as input to another. Natural biogeochemical cycles mobilize, transport, and store material in the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. Producers, consumers, and decomposers transfer organic matter and nutrients among themselves and the storage compartments. Many traditional human engineering designs lead to the accumulation of waste materials that cannot be reused by the original process and can contaminate other processes. Ecological engineering designs seek to minimize waste production and to utilize wastes (material not related to the primary function of the design) as inputs for other processes. One example of this is using ecological processes to clean up waste products such as using wetlands to treat wastewater or phytoremediation to clean up soil contamination.

#reused materials

#Nutrient and material

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