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83. The Circular Economy: Designing a Building for Its Own Funeral


Jul 29, 2026

Episode Highlights:

  • Why should we be designing buildings to be taken apart and reused, not dumped in landfills?

  • How "Design for Deconstruction" (DfD) increases long-term profits for developers.

  • Navigating the financial pro formas, US funding hurdles, and regulatory gaps.

  • What is a "material passport”?

  • Lessons from historic barn preservation.

“Construction waste is the number one component of waste production on this planet.” 


- Leslie Horn, CEO


Show Notes:

  • 00:00 - Intro to Ep 83.

  • 01:53 - Designing to eliminate waste and regenerate resources from landfills.

  • 03:30 - "Circular Economy” and Design for Deconstruction (DfD), not demolition.

  • 06:20 - How Three Squared challenges convention. 

  • 07:16 - Examples of DfD in practice:

    • Jill’s grandmother’s barn demolition preservation. 

    • Breck’s panelized house core system.

  • 10:40 - Importance of prefabricated elements.

  • 12:38 - Impact of construction waste.

  • 14:14 - Adaptive reuse and thinking in systems.

  • 15:09 - Potential setbacks and lack of full regulation guidelines.

  • 16:57 - Navigating pro forma and funding for Mass Timber construction in the USA.

  • 21:16 - Financial benefits of DfD for builders and developers.

  • 27:00 - What is a “material passport” and how can we keep evolving in the USA?

  • 29:20 - Importance of good housing for all.


Resources:

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