More Use Less Waste in the Workplace: Designing for Reuse with Modular Interior Systems
KOVA is a leader in integrated, whole-project building material solutions, from faucets and flexible interior wall systems to facades, all designed to provide high-quality products at an exceptional value from one reliable supply chain partner. Serving all project types from single and multi-family residential to retail, hospitality, and commercial workplace, KOVA works with clients to create healthier, beautiful, more sustainable spaces. KOVA’s multidisciplinary team continues to develop products that positively impact project outcomes, end users, and the planet at-large. For more information about KOVA, please visit kovaproducts.com.
The desire to achieve long-term sustainable solutions in the Architecture, Engineering & Construction (AEC) industry, where waste plays a huge role in our impact, doesn't always land us where we want to be. We’ve made substantial progress in developing less toxic building products and using more renewable, carbon sequestering materials, but there has not been much progress in addressing the impact of material waste driven by cyclical workplace demolition and renovation. The reality is that even products designed for reuse become throw-away, short-term solutions that don’t live up to the performance or aesthetic of drywall and aren’t actually easy to demount and reuse. We explore the foundations of a systemic change in how we build with adaptability in mind, from floor plate designs to demountable systems that allow for practical reuse instead of demolition and landfill waste.
- Articulate the impact of traditional workplace renovation and tenant improvement on the environment and business
- Discuss how proactive design that takes material assembly, disassembly, and reuse into consideration can help build more adaptable outcomes
- Understand the basics of resilient core and shell design that enable adaptable interior systems and how to identify existing buildings well-suited for reuse
- Outline the pros and cons of modular demountable systems and their appropriate use cases
