The Three R’s have become fixtures of our vocabularies. Kids and adults alike can pretty much rattle them off in mantra-like fashion. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Reduce, reuse, recycle. But how often do we stop to reflect on the fact that the first R—Reduce—is far and above the best approach? The other members of the Three R Family — Reuse and Recycle — are well established cousins and we know what they are about. They are about managing and using waste once it is created. The term "source reduction" was coined to describe a whole set of ways to achieve the first R, Reduce.
Source reduction is not about waste. Source reduction is a way of thinking about the use of resources—or put more precisely, source reduction is about not using resources, not creating the waste in the first place. Source reduction is a focused effort to eliminate material use and toxicity— before it even appears on site.
The best approach to resource efficient design and construction is through source reduction. Reusing salvaged materials, using recycled content materials and recycling of construction wastes are important next steps, but they should follow efforts at source reduction. Source reduction should be job one.
Source reduction may take time. However, when compared to the time we end up investing in managing the wastes from materials, and considering the environmental impacts of using more material than might have been needed, source reduction is a small investment for the potential rewards it can reap. This article provides ideas and examples for re-thinking your role in design and construction.
By asking three simple questions at the very outset of your projects you can determine whether the actions you intend to take will achieve source reduction:
- Does it use less material?
- Does it use less toxic materials?
- Does it reduce (or perhaps eliminate) waste at the source?
Reducing Waste at the Source While the concept of reducing waste at the source may be fairly simple to grasp, it often requires you to re-think how—and why—you do what you do and to look for ways to improve on current practice.
For example, an architect might specify that an eight-inch thick poured concrete foundation contain a certain amount of fly ash in the mix. Or the architect might specify that the concrete contain fly ash in the mix and that the wall thickness be reduced to six inches. While both ideas are resource efficient, only the latter idea—reducing the materials used by reducing the wall thickness—is source reduction.
Source reduction can result in a domino effect that may not be immediately obvious. In addition to reducing the amount of concrete used, you are now able to reduce the overall size of the building without reducing the usable square footage. Material use is reduced in each subsequent step on the construction process. By reducing the wall thickness you can construct a building with a smaller footprint but equivalent square footage. Smaller buildings use less material— less framing material, less wiring, less sheathing, less insulation, less siding, less drywall, less paint, etc.
Certain designs are inherently more resource efficient and embody source reduction principles. For example, materials used in salt-box or gambrel roof designs serve double duty. They are both roof system and wall system. Such dual function design considerations are an important aspect of source reduction applied to design.
Implementing source reduction is often complicated by the fact that much of the design and construction community is just beginning to recognize that they have a role in creating source reduction solutions—and that by providing such solutions they can improve their final product and achieve business goals. You will likely have to invest additional time and effort to educate yourself as well as the others with whom you work. This educational process will include identifying available options and the impact of these options on the design and construction process. Avoid the temptation to do everything on each project.
Begin by setting achievable goals. Clarify your goals and how they might affect your project. For example, set a goal of reducing the total amount of structural materials used by 10%. Then, explain these goals and what they mean to others involved in the project. Often the simple step of explaining what you are trying to do will generate creative source reduction solutions and convince others to support your efforts in implementation.
Clear and effective communication has proven to be a critical step in implementing source reduction. The following questions can serve as a starting point in achieving your source reduction goals.
Do I need all of this?
The most dramatic reductions in resource use can come from careful design. The first question to ask is whether you need to build every square foot you’re planning to build. While your first response (or your client’s) may be—"Well of course I do!"—reconsider each step. Document how you have used space in the past and then critically examine how you intend to use the space you are proposing to build. From this analysis consider ways to downsize or eliminate some of the space proposed. Designing multi-use spaces rather than dedicated single-use spaces, and eliminating excess circulation space are two approaches.
Carefully consider storage needs. Suggest giving unneeded possessions away rather than having to build storage space for them. Downsize mechanical systems and reduce duct runs by not heating and cooling storage spaces. Use advanced framing techniques to reduce wood use.
Remember that the traditional argument—"it’s cheaper if you build it now"—considers only the immediate costs of construction, not the ongoing costs of maintaining or replacing what is initially being built. Plainly and simply, a larger building costs more to build, maintain and operate than a smaller one.
How long should it last?
Home buyers are becoming increasingly aware of the costs associated with maintaining buildings. The increasing use of fee-for-service home inspectors is creating more informed buyers who may well expect sellers to share in the costs of replacing failed—or failing—building components.
The durability of each material as a component of the finished building must be carefully balanced during the design stage. Should it be built to last indefinitely, or should it be built to last for a few years? It depends. How do you intend to use the building? How long do you intend to use it in this particular way? How long will others after you use it this way?
Durability is not a simple consideration. Each of us possesses unique preferences—preferences that change as building ‘fashions’ change, as lifestyles change and as ownership changes. If durable materials are used in applications where frequent remodeling occurs—for example, in bathrooms and kitchens—those durable materials may be destined for a dumpster (or recycling bin) well before they reach the end of their useful service life.
The decisions you make will likely impact decisions on future changes made to the building. Plan for the longest period of time you can. Match material durability to material use considering the ‘life-cycle’ of the building—from the earliest design discussions through to considerations of how the building or its components can be used by others.
Try to extend the useful life of materials by specifying construction methods which will allow reuse of materials or adaptive reuse of entire buildings.
Can it be taken apart?
Consider what opportunities are available to design for disassembly. How can your project be designed so that materials can be readily taken apart for reuse? Consider using simple, readily accessible mechanical fasteners. Use screws instead of nails where applicable. Avoid using construction adhesives that will make the disassembly of building materials impossible.
Allow enough time for existing construction to be taken apart rather than demolished. Such considerations can go beyond removing items like cabinets, doors, trim, plumbing and lighting fixtures, etc. Consider whether additional materials can be recovered such as structural framing materials, brick, sheer metal, etc. Push the limits.
Before taking anything apart though, carefully assess proposed demolition of existing construction. Can it be reused as is? Can it be taken apart and reused in the new construction? Can it be reused by others? Volunteer organizations like Habitat for Humanity and other local organizations can often cost-effectively salvage and reuse materials.
How can I create a healthier building?
Increasing ventilation is not the sole way to improve indoor air quality. It’s not enough. Eliminating the sources of indoor air pollution before they even enter the air space of the house is also an effective and necessary approach.
Some building materials release toxic chemicals into the air. Review your material choices to learn which ones are toxic in themselves—and also which ones require the use of toxic adhesives and solvents as part of their installation. Eliminate these materials. One easy way to get information on toxicity is to request material safety data sheets (MSDS) from your supplier for all specified materials. Read through these and call the manufacturer of the product if you have any questions.
Indoor air pollution is a result not only of the materials used during construction but also comes from the materials used in ongoing building maintenance. There are small chemical warehouses under most kitchen sinks—products ranging from carpet spot removers to caustic drain cleaners. Avoid using building materials which require the use of such cleaners, minimize their use if they are needed, and provide for safe and well ventilated storage. Selecting materials with less toxicity will improve indoor air quality and may reduce sick time, lower insurance costs and increase productivity.
(Editor’s Note: Also see David Rousseau’s article on Green Materials, Ecobuildng Times, Spring 95.’)
Do I Know How to Run This Thing?
Unlike cars, only a very few get licenses to operate and maintain buildings. Significant repair or replacement costs can be avoided with basic knowledge of how to operate a building efficiently. The phenomena of Sick Building Syndrome, for example, can result from improper installation, maintenance, and operation of mechanical systems. And sick buildings result in sick occupants.
Design and construct user-friendly buildings. Aim for simplicity. For the systems requiring more user knowledge than operating a door, provide a list of written preventive maintenance needs, and warranty information. Schedule an in-servicing session with the person responsible for maintenance to show them how to most efficiently operate the building’s systems. By maintaining and repairing building components you can increase the building’s longevity and reduce operating costs.
Invite the designer and/or contractor back to review how the building performs. Both are likely to be very interested in knowing what works well and what doesn’t, and they may have easy-fix solutions to any problems that have come up.
Do I Know How This Building Was Put Together?
Documenting construction materials used and building techniques employed in a project can eliminate guesswork and unnecessary demolition during future repair and remodeling.
Create ‘as built’ plans by modifying construction documents to show what was actually built. Pass these building plans on to the next owner. An original set of floor plans will inform subsequent owners of what has been done in the past and what can be done using the existing structure.
If you don’t have access to the as-built plans of a building, check local government records. Building departments typically keep building permit records, including plans, on file. Such records can be instrumental in determining documented changes that have been made to the building.
Create a ‘housebook.’ A few photographs of key wall sections taken during construction can spare significant time and materials in subsequent remodeling efforts. For example, a picture of a framed out wall before it is covered with drywall could be indispensable in locating plumbing or wiring runs.
Do I Have the Right People Involved?
If as the adage goes, there is a right tool for every job, then there must be a ‘right person’ to use it too. Identifying the right people for the job is a critical first step. Many of the actions presented here will be familiar to designers and contractors. However, the goals of resource efficiency may not.
To achieve your objectives you will need a team of designers, contractors and suppliers, and perhaps consultants, who understand what you are aiming for and have the knowledge and skills to get you there. Ask for evidence. Ask the people you are considering hiring about their experience in resource efficient design and construction. Ask to talk with their past clients.
Most importantly, communicate with others about successes in achieving source reduction. Contact your local Northwest EcoBuilding Guild chapter. They may be able to help you find building professionals who have integrated resource efficiency into their design and construction practices.
The ultimate goal of source reduction—the first R as it can be applied to design and building—is to create a building system which serves the needs of its users well now and into the future, with minimal consumption of resources and zero waste. Everyone involved in the design and construction process needs to carefully identify ways to do this, characterize the available choices, and present them to their construction clients. It is a concept you should seek to incorporate into your everyday decision-making.
Joel Schurke is the Vice President of WRITAR, a non-profit research and training organization based in St. Paul, MN. As its mission, WRITAR seeks to make every decision an environmental decision. and centers its efforts on ways to reduce material use and waste in manufacturing. Joel's current research seeks to define specific ways to improve manufacturing, facility layout and building design. Joel was formerly a building contractor who focused on reconstructing historic buildings. He can be reached at writar@pclink.com.
