Event Recap: Built to Lead: Lessons in Building Deconstruction and Embodied Carbon
February 3, 2026
On Tuesday, February 3rd, A Better City convened a fourth packed panel in the "Built to Lead: Lessons in Building Decarbonization and Resilience" series, a showcase of the climate leadership of A Better City member companies and institutions. This panel event focused on deconstruction and embodied carbon.
We explored a wide variety of projects and their circularity strategies at SFO and PDX leading to significant cost savings and waste reduction. Next, we looked at BU case studies in renovation and construction and their impacts on embodied carbon , focusing on the Warren Towers dorms. This was followed by examples of tenant fit outs in office spaces, and lessons in what equipment and materials can and can’t be easily reused. Lastly, we heard from Bost Building Resources, a reuse center in Boston which sells reusable materials to the public and provides deconstruction services, and heard what are the most commonly reused items, and the challenges and opportunities in this important work.. Thank you to our panelists for sharing their time and expertise:
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Dennis Carlberg, Chief Sustainability Officer & Associate Vice President for Climate Action, Boston University—Retrofit of BU’s Warren Towers
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Irmak Turan, Associate, Climate and Sustainability, Arup—Circularity and embodied carbon at airports
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Caroline Murray, Regional Sustainability Manager, Turner Construction Company—Deconstruction and reuse of office space
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Andrew Thompson, Interim Executive Director, Boston Building Resources—Material donation and reuse
You can check out their slides: here.
Please keep an eye out for our next panel to be announced soon!
