Revolutionising De-Construction: Re-using Materials at Scale with Material Index
Reuse at Scale
I’m Olivia, an Architect who has recently joined the Material Index Team to assist in providing a range of circular economy services. I’m responsible for conducting pre-demolition audits and engaging in reuse consultancy with a broad range of clients and stakeholders.
In my first months at Material Index, I’ve enjoyed being out on-site doing audits, researching reuse opportunities, whilst also being involved in developing our digital product through research and user testing. Coming from an architectural background, it’s been an interesting shift from construction to deconstruction, learning more about material valuation, reuse pathways, embodied carbon data and engaging in the technical aspects of deconstruction.
Material Index’s ambition is to lower the waste and carbon footprint of construction by enabling material reuse at scale. Astonishingly, construction generates over 50% of the UK’s waste by volume. The embodied carbon of replacement virgin materials is over 14% of total UK emissions, while industry average reuse rates are currently less than 2%. The average age of an office fit-out in London is 6 years, and ultimately it’s crazy that all those valuable components end up as waste, and we’re on a mission to change that.
Reusing more materials lowers waste and carbon while cutting costs.
Material Index Platform
The goal of our audits is to have a more granular understanding of what is in a building prior to demolition, whilst also helping clients to meet BREEAM Targets and Circular Economy Statements for planning, promoting sustainability in the construction industry.
During an audit, Material Index or building contractors go to site and use our app on an iPad or mobile device.The app allows you to quickly catalogue all the materials due to be demolished or deconstructed. We deliver the necessary environmental reporting using our platform, and then we sell the materials, ensuring far less goes to waste.
Our platform has made collecting information on what’s in buildings more efficient and we’ve had a busy start to 2024 auditing projects across London.
Material Brokerage
Our project at Appold Street with British Land has been a great case study, where we have high quality materials up for reuse through our resale marketplace. During an audit, Material Index looks at all opportunities for reuse both on-site, within a client’s portfolio or off-site through donation or resale. At Appold Street, Ben Kinnear from Opera has been championing our service, redirecting standard office components like carpet tiles, ceiling tiles and furniture back into the British Land portfolio.
Being on-site during the deconstruction phase has been particularly insightful. We’ve collaborated closely with contractors and project managers to manage logistics and deconstruction methods, to ensure the best chance of the materials being reused.
Circular Economy
We’ve also been working alongside Buro Happold, Fathom Architects and Blackburn on Circular Economy reporting for a project in Mayfair. Our pre-demolition audit data collected through our platform is being used to create ambitious and innovative and project specific embodied carbon targets. Our asset register of components and materials is being used to discuss opportunities for material specific reuse and retention targets pushing the boundaries of reuse.
We have also enjoyed the challenge of working with a listed building in Soho. Working alongside General Demolition and SPPARC architects, we’ve catalogued many bespoke components on site and are working to find pathway partners for reuse off-site.
Pilot Partnerships
We’ve recently been awarded a UKRI (UK Research and Innovation Grant) to implement user testing of our reuse platform and we are looking for demolition contractors, auditors or sustainability and design teams to take part in demonstrations and user testing.
Our first round of user testing with architects, demolition contractors and sustainability consultants is underway and is a big step forward in unlocking the potential of our platform.
Stay tuned for updates and get in touch for pre-demolition audits, material brokering or if you’re interested in becoming a Pilot Partner in our user testing program.
