Design for adaptability, disassembly and reuse – A review of reversible timber connection systems

Review article, 2023

The building and construction (B&C) industry remains one of the highest greenhouse gas emitting and resource intensive sectors globally. Despite the recent trend to use renewable carbon sequestering building materials, such as timber, a paradigm shift is needed to transition the B&C industry towards an ‘absolute zero’ circular economy. Design for adaptability (DfA) allows buildings and their components to remain in use for longer by responding to changing environmental conditions and occupant needs. This paper provides a review of design principles to enable adaptability for timber buildings through design for disassembly (DfD) and reuse, as well as a systematic review of reversible timber connection systems that enable DfA and DfD.