ELIGE MADERA Designing to Deconstruct: Cycles That Last Building with an expiration date isn’t the most encouraging for any architect or builder. But designing to reassemble, without the need to demolish a building, can be a leap forward, towards a sustainable way of thinking about architecture. Building with an expiration date isn’t the most encouraging for any architect or builder. But designing to reassemble, without the need to demolish a building, can be a leap forward, towards a sustainable way of thinking about architecture. Most human inventions have an expiration date and construction industry projects are no different. Whether because of time or deterioration, these structures must be demolished, causing debris and waste that can rarely be reused, and occupying huge amounts of space in landfills. The waste left in its wake makes the construction industry one of the five most polluting sectors on the planet; this calls for a rethinking of how projects are carried out from the very beginning. The trend towards sustainability in the world has been found across many industries, including sustainable architecture. However, beyond construction with renewable materials, it’s important to take into account the end of a building’s useful life in its design. For the same reason, the concept of Design for Deconstruction (DfD) and Design for Disassembly and Adaptability (DfD/A) arose, both of which focus on responsible and sustainable design, supported by technology. Design for Deconstruction DfD aims to facilitate the recovery of building materials at the end of their useful life in order to reduce their environmental impact by managing them in the right way. It is applied in all design phase decisions that can facilitate the adaptation and renovation of every part of a building. In terms of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, " Designing for Deconstruction is about designing in such a way that these resources can be economically recovered and reused." Design for Disassembly and Adaptability Unlike DfD, which targets the end-of-life of building components, DfD/A aims to extend the life cycle of buildings by designing for ease of maintenance and even modification of buildings. And, like DfD, the disassembly of parts allows the recovery of materials that have reached the end of their useful life, facilitating their recycling and reuse, returning to the cycle of the circular economy. Both concepts propose a different way of looking at architectural design, in a way that is sustainable over time, hand in hand with the circular economy.