Reclamation Audit

Material Research
Collaborator: Felix Joensson
St Marys
2026

A reclamation audit identifies the reuse potential of a project, particularly for buildings scheduled for partial or total demolition. We visit the site to identify materials and elements with a high reuse potential, photographing and measuring components and assessing their condition. Everything is documented and catalogued in a detailed audit, graded from most to least reuse potential, so we know exactly what can be reused or reclaimed.

Logic of Deconstruction:
1. Interior loose furnishings
2. Cabinetry
3. Doors and windows
4. Interior linings
5. Exterior linings
6. Structure

The audit is carried out during the pre-design stage, so the resulting inventory can guide the building and site design from the outset. Working this way reduces waste and embodied carbon, and has the potential to lower costs compared with sourcing new materials. This is a practical tool with potential to significantly reduce the environmental impact of the building.

Materials available on the site: reclaimed timber and stone from a dismantled extension to the existing cabin.

Material idenification and mapping process