Building construction and demolition waste greatly contribute to the total mass found in landfills. While the traditional linear building model demands new materials for new projects, adopting cyclical models of reclamation and reuse will provide a more resourceful and sustainable future.

This thesis proposes designing a building for disassembly by reusing salvaged materials in the Vanier neighbourhood of Ottawa. As the last major area near downtown that has yet to be developed, Vanier is a model that represents places where aging structures provide an opportunity for material evolution among the existing urban fabric, and where land value is beginning to outweigh the value in rehabilitating obsolete buildings situated on it.

Utilizing digital workflows, this thesis project will examine deconstructing derelict buildings and structures found on several Vanier properties as the base material palette for designing a new addition to an existing commercial structure with the ability to be methodically disassembled.