as material banks we can extract resources from, not just as a blockade to a new building,” he says. The environmental impact also cannot be understated. Construction demolition waste is the number one contributor to solid waste in landfills, in both Canada and the United States – it comprises nearly 40 per cent of the total in both regions. Of that construction waste, nearly 40 per cent is lumber – mostly old growth lumber which is rare, better wood, and more valuable. “So it’s not only contributing to overflowing landfills and climate change, it’s just a complete waste of resources,” Adam says. “It’s valuable material that’s just going into the dump.” The majority of Unbuilders’ projects are residential deconstructions, though commercial deconstructions are also a growing percentage of their business as more big developers and contractors are inviting them to bid on projects. In many cases, Unbuilders is able to win those bids because of the uniqueness of their business model. Deconstruction may be more expensive than traditional demolition at first glance, but there are factors that can change the equation. For example, Unbuilders donates a lot of what they salvage to charity, which generates a tax receipt for the building owner and can reduce their cost. Also, as previously mentioned, Adam runs a reclaimed wood brokerage, which will oftentimes buy the wood the company salvages and thus reduce their fees. “I think a lot of companies do care about sustainability and UNBUILDERS
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