Unlocking hidden value: circularity assessment for a historic building demolition
Summary
Adaptis conducted a circularity assessment for a historic building in Toronto, originally built in 1889, which is being converted into a mixed-use high-rise.
Within two weeks, Adaptis recommended strategies to avoid 1,237 tonnes of waste, representing 67% of the building's weight, and prevent approximately 259 tonnes of CO2e emissions.
The assessment also identified a potential salvage value of $225,000, exceeding the developer's original goal of $120,000 in savings.
Building Information
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Building Use: Conversion, Heritage building to mixed-use
Year Built: 1889
Number of Buildings: 1
This heritage building had undergone multiple renovations and additions over the centuries, resulting in a rich architectural tapestry. The redevelopment proposal included preserving the portion with cultural significance and removing some of the later additions to convert the property into a high-rise, mixed-use building with residential units, retail, and community spaces.
Challenges
The developer aimed to divert 35% of materials from landfill and save $120,000 through salvage. However, the building's complex history and the limitations of traditional methods, including reliance on multiple consultants and manual calculations, posed significant challenges in terms of accuracy, time, and cost.
Targets
Maximize waste diversion at the end of life, improve overall circularity.
Results
Adaptis recommended a scenario that avoids 315 tonnes of waste through recycling and 922 tonnes through reuse, representing 17% and 50% of the building weight, respectively. The total avoided carbon is approximately 259 tonnes CO2e. This approach could yield an estimated salvage value of around $225K, though this may vary based on market trends and material quality.
Adaptis Advantage
Adaptis successfully completed this complex assessment within two weeks, leveraging our proprietary, patent-pending data sets and methodologies. While traditional circularity assessments are often qualitative and subjective, our validated quantitative methods and exclusive datasets allow us to achieve faster, more accurate results, saving our clients $X in costs.