would better be dismantled and recycled. As a rule of thumb, he says, recycling is most appropriate for shorter-lived elements, and reuse better for elements that have longer life potential than their actual use in a building. Phillip Crowther (2001) lists 27 key considerations in design for disassembly: 1. Use recycled and recyclable materials 2. Minimize the number of types of materials 3. Avoid toxic and hazardous materials 4. Avoid composite materials and make inseparable products from the same material 5. Avoid secondary finishes to materials 6. Provide standard/permanent identification of material types 7. Minimize the number of different components 8. Use mechanical rather than chemical connections 9. Use open building system with interchangeable parts 10. Use modular design 11. Use assembly technologies compatible with standard building practice 12. Separate the structure from the cladding 13. Provide access to all building components 14. Design components sized to suit handling at all stages 15. Provide for handling components during assembly and disassembly 16. Provide adequate tolerance to allow for disassembly 17. Minimize numbers of fasteners and connectors 18. Minimize the types of connectors 19. Design joints and connectors to withstand repeated assembly and disassembly 20. Allow for parallel disassembly 21. Provide permanent identification for each component 22. Use a standard structural grid 23. Use prefabricated sub-assemblies 24. Use lightweight materials and components 25. Identify point of disassembly permanently 26. Provide spare parts and storage for them 27. Retain information on the building and its assembly process