Design for Deconstruction: A Disassembly Manual is a research project by Elaina Berkowitz studying design for intentional future deconstruction and material reuse in Japan and Belgium. Elaina’s project was selected as a recipient of the AIA New York 2025 Stewardson Keefe LeBrun Travel Grant.

At Osaka’s 2025 World Expo, the most predominant building is the world’s largest wood building. Intentionally temporary, it’s designed referencing a historic Japanese technique that uses no fasteners. Currently being dismantled with limited plans for material reuse, the project serves as a case study in how traditions of ritual disassembly can inform contemporary design for deconstruction.

In Belgium, a robust culture of building material reuse exists thanks to strong recycling networks, forward-thinking regulations, and a culture of experimentation from practitioners. A network of designers, builders, and policy makers are advancing common-sense material use to create a resilient future.

Surveying historic practices of designing for deconstruction alongside contemporary techniques of reuse, the project will chart a manual of best-practices for the future, allowing architects to consider buildings as ‘material banks’ ripe for renewal.

This website documents Elaina‘s travels, which will be undertaken in May  - July 2026.