Could Santa Barbara banish the Bulldozer?
Deconstruction is the greener one
– and cheaper –
Alternative to demolition
By Tyler Hayden | April 10, 2025
Read more from The Home & Garden 2025.
This story was originally published in the Santa Barbara Green GuideA joint venture from Bluedot lives and the Santa Barbara Independent.
Kit boss knew that there had to be a better way. The owner of a 100-year-old house in Santa Barbara had plans to rebuild, but hated the idea of his doors, windows, cupboards, fittings and wood that were just thrown into the trash.
“It follows me,” said the boss, “the thought of stacks of things that are scraped off on landfill.” And he had good reasons to be annoyed – the waste generated by the construction and renovation is what fills 22 percent of the California dump. “My wife and I were obliged to be as green as possible,” he said.
Boss was just starting his research when he listed his bike on Facebook for sale. The buyer was by chance Aude-Line Dulière, an environmentally conscious architect from Belgium, who happens to be a leading global provider of “deconstruction”, the concept of reducing buildings to save its reusable parts. The two had to talk.
The more boss of deconstruction learned, the more hopeful he became. Up to 80 percent of the materials of a house can be recovered and managed back into the market. But he was worried about the “green premium”, the additional costs that are often associated with the sustainable decision. How would he do it pencil? In this case, his concerns were not justified.
When everything was said and done, Boss actually spent about 10 percent less for the deconstruction of his house in West Mesa than if he had taken a bulldozer. The savings came from the tax advantages, which he received to a non -profit organization for the donation of the used materials, which she then resold to the public with a discount.
Yes, the boss admitted that the more sensitive process lasted longer than the traditional way – a few weeks in contrast to a few days. “But the construction still takes forever,” he said. For example, the workers put individual nails from the Redwood deck before setting up each card and preparing for shipping.
The dismantling was completed this winter with the current renovation. The last inventory of the recovered objects also included a six-foot Danish bookshelf, two ceramic sinks, copper throat tubes and more than a dozen light scones, window case and solid-wood doors.
The new one -story house is where he and his wife will live, said boss and recognized how many second houses and holiday rentals contribute to Santa Barbara's lack of living. The honor of the history of the property was also important for them, he explained, and what could be nicer than ensuring that parts of the old structure live.
“We did the right thing, we did the smart one, and it wasn't even a victim,” he said.
Compilation for disassembly
A village is needed to take a building apart, and the boss who connected with some important people to look through the process. One was the local architect's picture, and another was Ted Reiff in Bay Area, founder of reuse, a non -profit organization that is dedicated to reducing the fixed waste current.
Image is one of the most sought -after architects of Santa Barbara and an active member of our chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Your company has developed everything from affordable senior living space to a Miramar Beach House and a number of commercial and bourgeois projects, including the offices of Toad & Co. and the Louise Lowry Davis Recreation Center.
As far as picture knows, only a handful of deconstruction projects have taken place in Santa Barbara. She would like to see how this number grows. “To bring materials back into the construction current – that would be enormous for our community,” she said. “And it would significantly reduce our CO2 footprint.” Rescue materials from a single house can save more than 30 million energy, so enough to heat and cool down 750 houses in Santa Barbara for a year.
Reiff and reuse have been the deconstruction drum for decades with offices across the country. Your customer list includes thousands of private homeowners, the cities of San Diego and Chicago, and some celebrities that he cannot talk about on the basis of non -open -ending agreements. The organization has distracted more than 400,000 tons of waste since 1993.
In all his years, Reiff has always saved the customer. “I've never seen a project that is not worth it,” he said. While the deconstruction usually costs about twice as much demolition, the tax benefits more than the difference.
The IRS-qualified expert from third-party providers determines the value of the materials before they are removed and takes into account their age, condition, etc. “Your mileage can vary,” he explained.
Old growth wood that is used in the frame is particularly valuable, said Reiff, while foundations often went too far to save. It has redirected all types of vintage lights and devices – even fireplaces – from landfills, objects that give your next home the kind of character that you cannot buy from Ikea. “Some real treasures,” he said. “But we're still looking for Jimmy Hoffa.”
The recovered materials from the boss's house were driven to a 40,000 square meter warehouse that was operated by the reuse in Oakland. Reiff said: “It is almost like a huge used goods store”, in which article costs 25-50 percent less than in a household business or wooden dealer. “Locals can come in and save money,” he said. “Lot of money.”
Will Santa Barbara come on board?
Despite all its predictions, the deconstruction has still not become the mainstream. One main reason is the demolition – in the United States – in the United States of 8.7 billion US dollars per year – driven by an accelerated pace of reusing and wearing wear when tree methods become faster and cheaper (think about screws instead of screws) and structures that do not take so long.
Of the 250,000 single-family houses that are removed every year, Reff only use around 2,500 or 0.01 percent decorative. Nevertheless, Reiff and his team, together with hundreds of other deconstructions outfits, continue to spread the floor nationwide and raise the public.
The Reff organization also trains and certifies the unemployed and disadvantaged workers and has offered more than 500 commercial stores in recent years. They also taught about 70 contractors, who in turn have created more jobs in this area.
It not only needs skill to remove materials without ruining them, explained Reiff, but also cataloged, transport and kept, which are careful. “Taking out is one thing,” he said. “Conservation is different.”
Some things would have to happen so that the deconstruction in Santa Barbara appears on a scale. First of all, reuse of people or the like company would have to ensure a large facility such as their Oakland warehouse – which serves all counties in Bay Area – to resell materials.
Reiff suggested that one could be set up in the city to serve the three -counter on the central coast. Imprinting is already brainstorming and scouting potential locations. Maybe at the airport. “We only speak theoretically until the infrastructure is present,” she said. But if the right property came with you, “we would be happy to open shop,” said Reiff.
The other factor is work or rather the lack. There are not enough local hands to carry out the special work. Not yet. Existing teams from solar installers, specialists and others with Home Service backgrounds could be brought up to date pretty quickly, said Reiff.
After all, the demand must exist. Imprints also fall off and work with city officials to integrate the deconstruction into the process of deposits. “Just introduce people to the option,” she said.
It remains to be seen whether the city will take over one of the mandates that have other communities. In 2016, Portland was the first city to declare a single -family house that was built before 1940. Palo Alto requires deconstruction for all commercial and residential buildings, regardless of age. And Boulder stipulates that 75 percent of the buildings are diverted according to the weight of landfills.
Improvement is confident that Santa Barbara will soon follow the example. But she doesn't just wait for it to happen. “It is up to us as a community to donate or create resources in order to make the deconstruction a practical option,” she said. “And I think we can do it.”