When building the new Braunstein Brewery taphouse in Køge, Denmark, designers did something a little unusual. They put as much thought into taking the structure down as building it in the first place. The innovative design allows the building to be completely disassembled into reusable pieces at the end of its life.
Designed by Copenhagen-based firm Adept, the building is part of Køge’s climate adaptation strategy which allows for buildings to be easily modified or moved if necessary for climate adaptation. It also eliminates waste from the modification process, reducing the environmental impact and cost of the modifications.
Conventional building materials, like concrete, are very difficult to recycle, so the taphouse uses greener materials like sustainably forested wood that can be easily moved to take advantage of the wood’s full lifespan. FastCompany writes, “Instead of being demolished with a wrecking ball, the building can be unscrewed and its pieces reused.”
Disassembling a building is more expensive than demolishing one, but the money saved on reused materials more than makes up for the cost. This makes the design not only green but financially savvy as well.
Though the concept is LEGO-like, the building certainly doesn’t look makeshift. You would never guess that the aesthetically pleasing structure is any different than a conventional building. Creating structures designed to be recycled and repurposed when they are no longer needed is the foundation of circular construction and we hope to see more buildings following this design style in the near future!
Image source: Archello
