The Project So Far
Demolition take Down set out to understand the current barriers and external forces that may be influencing this wasteful behaviour. It was an opportunity to spark action, through connecting with the wider construction industry as well as the general public, on the topic of demolition.
Our project aims to create an attitudinal and behavioural shift by engaging across disciplines, gathering insights from the industry and highlighting possible ways forward.
Ultimately, Demolition Take Down is a call to action for policy makers, decision makers, councils, construction industry workers, clients and the public to take climate action now. Public attitudes are the life and death of a building.
Industry Engagement
The first phase was launched in October 2023 with the engagement of our community of practice - the construction industry. We welcomed input from across the sector from; architects, clients, contractors, developers, engineers, local authorities, planners, project managers, quantity surveyors, sub-contractors and technologists. This phase sought to understand some of the reasons why existing buildings are often demolished and the challenges of adapting existing buildings for reuse.
This engagement was through a project website, an online survey, a series of in-depth interviews and a social media campaign. The interviews were crucial in helping us to clarify our research and to understand the challenges facing the industry. The variety of backgrounds and interests for the interviewees gave us a wider spread of viewpoints on the topic of Construction & Demolition waste. It was important to us to gather a true reflection of the industries opinions.
Student Engagement
From January to May 2024, the second phase extended to third-level education with a collaboration between the School of Architecture, Building and Environment with the School of Surveying and Construction Innovation at TU Dublin.
This phase sought to introduce collaboration early in the education of construction industry professionals and break down entrenched disciplinary silos in an academic environment.
Public Engagement
The third phase of the initiative combined the findings from the initial stages resulting in a large scale public installation at IMMA and a series of supporting events including talks, film screenings and engagement surveys in September 2024.
The installation represented the amount of construction and demolition waste created in Ireland over each person’s lifetime. It considered the impact of demolition on value and waste; culturally, financially, and environmentally. We saw the installation as a conversation-starter and an opportunity to engage with the public & wider construction industry on the topic of demolition.
It was a key feature of the Earth Rising festival and Culture Night 2024. Our construction industry student invigilators from TU Dublin carried out public engagement throughout the festival. They shared their reflections in a student-led symposium in November 2024.
