The Living Building Challenge sets ambitious targets to change building demolition practices, asking us to reuse, recycle and salvage 80 percent by weight of buildings removed for a new development.

The 1920’s villas on the site of the Living Pā enjoyed a long and varied life of 100+ years, changing use many times and providing a human scale to a section of Kelburn Parade otherwise dominated by institutional buildings. Cold, drafty and damp they’d reached the end of their life—however when it came to removing them, many people expressed a fondness not only for the memories within their walls but for the architectural detailing, hand crafted fixtures and use of natural materials.

Initially we sought contractors to relocate the villas, hoping they would be re-used in entirety. A contractor was engaged, but with delays caused by COVID-19 and a house removers' industry overwhelmed by a surge in government housing stock upgrades and staff constraints, we were forced to revert to deconstruction and salvaging.

We were lucky to secure a demolition contractor who understood the challenge and committed to achieving, and documenting, the salvaging effort. Doors, windows, roofing, stair balustrades, fireplaces, plumbing, electrical and mechanical fittings and fixtures were all salvaged, hardwood timber in floors and walls was recycled for parquetry flooring and period lattice work has been gifted to a local architect specialising in renovations of period townhouses.

Dismantling the villas took substantially longer, and was more expensive than demolition to landfill. In the end we salvaged nearly 50 percent of materials by weight, well short of the 80 percent target but significantly higher than is standard practice.

Where did we fall short? Well, the structural timbers in 42, 44 & 46 Kelburn Parade were riddled with borer, and internal and external linings were found to be asbestos. Wellington lacks a recycling facility for plasterboard (there is one in Auckland), and the concrete footings added a good deal of weight for percentage of volume.

What did we learn? That contractors are willing to change deconstruction practices to avoid landfill. That there is a subcontractor market for salvaging and recycling materials. That documenting it along the way makes you accountable and real about the outcomes. And that more needs to be done.