In the world of deconstruction and circularity, nearly all roads lead back to a handful of industry vanguards. One of whom is Dave Bennink, more commonly known as Deconstruction Dave. Dave has been working to shepherd deconstruction and reuse into the mainstream for the better part of three decades. He brought a reuse innovation center to Bellingham, Washington and is now developing one in New York City. He founded the Building Deconstruction Institute, has led countless deconstruction efforts in cities across the country, and is routinely recruited by economic development organizations to help embed circular principles into local economies.

But what drew him to such a physically, emotionally and mentally demanding mission? It was the demolition of his high school and a fortuitous college internship.

In this episode, Dave discusses some of the challenges that often stand in the way of deconstruction and material resuse, why demand and timing are key to progressing circularity, and the important role architects, designers and contractors play in driving the mission forward.