Overview

The Deconstruction/Reconstruction Lab (Decon/Recon Lab) is a design research program that investigates new sustainable ways of thinking within the field of architecture through a paradigm shift in our approach to design from a linear path of consumption (take, make, throw) to that of a circular economy (take, make, repeat). Leveraging computational design, advanced robotic manufacturing, and technologies like augmented reality, the Decon/Recon Lab explores how future building practices can incorporate sustainable material design strategies, building material recovery methods, and circular construction techniques. With emphasis on design and cross-disciplinary collaboration, the Decon/Recon Lab seeks to rethink the way we manage and reuse building materials, through avoiding carbon and energy intensive processes of recycling and remanufacturing or, worse, the landfill.