Deconstruction is the systematic and careful disassembly of a building in order to recover materials for reuse, thereby maximizing their economic, environmental, educational and cultural value to the community. The Deconstruction Advisory Board was established in 2021 as the beginning step for the exploration of our current built environments and how Chattanooga and Hamilton County can benefit from not throwing good usable materials away. The National Association of Remodeling Industry estimates that every 2000 sq ft home that is demolished adds approximately 10,000 cubic feet of debris to a landfill. Deconstruction allows 80% or more of a building’s material to be saved.

Please join us on Wednesday, Nov 8 th at green|spaces to learn more about the deconstruction process and the opportunities it brings to Chattanooga and surrounding communities!

Pat Smith is an advocate with the mission to promote awareness of building deconstruction, expand its perception as a viable positive economic contributor, and help perceive opportunities for its successful implementation. She’s been establishing roots in the Chattanooga area since 2019 after moving from Indiana with thirty years professional experience in the building industry. Her studies in deconstruction began in 2010 emerging from a growing drive to seek out strategies the building industry could utilize to integrate more sustainable practices. Pat now chairs the Deconstruction Advisory Board (DAB) of Chattanooga/ Hamilton County which serves as an educational resource representing a diverse consortium of community representatives. One of several activities Pat enjoys in retirement here in Chattanooga is being a crew leader for Habitat for Humanity, an organization for which she has volunteered for over two decades.

David Bennink, Bellingham, WA, is Director of the Building Deconstruction Institute, owner of Re-Use Consulting and creator/designer of the ReUse Innovation Center. Since 1993 Re-Use has completed over 1350 deconstruction projects and has worked on over 5,000 total projects in North America. David focuses on growing the circular economy, embodied carbon, helping lower-income homeowners, ‘green-collar’ job creation, historic preservation and advancing the material reuse industry. The Building Deconstruction Institute has trained groups in 44 States and 4 Provinces, helping start new sustainable businesses and diverting 100,000,000 pounds from landfills. During his 30 years of experience, David has been known for breaking the status-quo and bringing the word ‘sustainable’ to places like inner-city neighborhoods. David has been voted National Deconstructor of the Year and National Reuse Educator of the Year.