This credit inquiry seeks clarification on how to account for reuse of materials "harvested" from an existing building for reuse in the same building. By definition, on page 188 of the Reference Guide: "Salvaged materials are construction materials recovered from existing buildings and reprocessed for reuse in other buildings." This seems to imply that materials from an existing building cannot be counted as salvaged materials if they are reinstalled in the same building.Our project includes deconstruction of a number of building components with the specific intent of reprocessing them for reinstallation into the building. For example, about 11,000 board-feet of old-growth timbers were harvested from the demolition of existing roof framing. The wood was milled and used throughout the building for architectural millwork features. Clearly, reprocessing was almost total. Also, over two hundred (200) doors were removed, restored to their original finish, fitted for new hardware, and reinstalled. About half were reinstalled into different locations. Some reprocessing was required. A number of other components, such as tack boards, blackboards, and display cases, were harvested, protected and reinstalled into new locations. The only reprocessing was to recondition and reinstall the components.We seek LEEDTM credit for the extensive salvaging work that was accomplished. To exclude the harvesting program we undertook seems an unintended consequence of the definition of salvaged materials. Can we include materials harvested from the building as salvaged materials? We have also considered the potential of applying for an Innovation credit for conducting a "harvesting" program. Is that a better approach?
It is important to make a distinction between salvaged building materials and building reuse. The goal of this credit is to reduce energy and resource impacts associated with production of new building materials, and also to encourage the development of a market in salvaged building materials.Credit MR 1; Building Reuse is intended to encourage the reuse of existing building shells and interiors. Components of an existing building which are reused in-situ are considered to apply toward the building reuse credit, not as salvaged materials.In this case, the roof timbers which were removed and reprocessed meet the intent of the salvaged material credit, since they apparently could not have been used for their current function in the existing building, but were salvaged for other valuable building components.However, the doors represent a component of the building which was reused as the same product, for the same purpose, in the same building. This type of reuse represents the goals of MR Credit 1.3, and thus can contribute to achieving the required 50% threshold for interior component reuse.Note that the materials in question cannot be counted simultaneously toward multiple credits (I.e. MR Credits 1,2,3,4,6, and 7). See page 187 of the Reference Guide for this discussion. Applicable Internationally.