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bba ARCHITECTS on Jan 01, 0001

BBA Architects & Blue Earth Deconstruction were recently featured on the cover of Crain's Chicago Business. The article by Dennis Rodkin chronicles how we worked closely with Winnetka to provide a new pilot permitting path that more easily allows us to deconstruct, recycle, and re-use tear-downs instead of putting them directly into a landfill. The current status quo requires holding the demolition permit until the building permit is issued and favors traditional demolition which can be completed in only a few days. 

In contrast, the more thoughtful and intentional deconstruction process often requires months rather than days to dismantle construction materials for salvage and reuse. Deconstruction has been hampered by the more traditional permitting approach due to this longer timeline requirement. With this new approach, the existing structure can be properly deconstructed during the building permit review time without extending the overall project timeline. We hope that the new attitude in Winnetka will influence other municipalities where deconstruction is not yet practical. 

See more facts about the process and images of the above Winnetka project as well as others in our video Deconstruction, the Eco-Friendly Demolition Alternative.

To learn more about the deconstruction process in general see our article on this topic here.

Learn more about the home being built, BBA's North Shore Estate.

Read full Crain’s article online 

Download article PDF