Collaborative study with Chuck Naeve, PE, TYLin Group Engineering

When a building reaches end of its life, we can reuse parts of the building to extend the life of the carbon expenditure used to create those parts. We can also avoid the common, high carbon creation that occurs with demolition and hauling. Here, we have explored the reuse of the pre-cast concrete building type –which emits in its creation great amounts of carbon dioxide– to find alternative and simple applications for the pieces of the garage system.

This project is based on an existing parking garage of comparable size in Austin that is scheduled for demolition and the landfill. Most of the pieces used in the garage, double-tee beams assemblies, L-beams and spandrel panels we propose here to be reused to create affordable housing. Multiple units, grouped together, will make efficient and exciting living spaces, and eventually a community.

We rarely have the opportunity to reuse significant parts of buildings in a new construction. This project demonstrates the opportunities that are already embedded in this building type to “ReMake” them in a useful and significant way. Just one module of this project effectively captures 61 tons of CO2 as embedded carbon within the precast pieces for a unit of eight apartments.