VEMA Deconstruction

If these walls could talk, they would tell you they still have a purpose. Yet, there’s a strong chance they’ll end up discarded and destroyed if and when the building they’re a part of undergoes demolition.

Landfilling often seems like the "fast and easy" path forward. However, this is economically backward thinking, which results in the loss of valuable reusable materials. Unless our systems change, we will continue to forfeit economic and financial benefits. And the environmental implications will grow more severe.

We spoke with Erick Serpas Ventura, Founder & CEO of VEMA Deconstruction, about how this organization is turning waste into wealth and replacing demolition with its circular deconstruction system that recovers every brick, beam, and board.

What inspired you to start VEMA Deconstruction and engage in circularity?

VEMA Deconstruction was founded from a simple but powerful realization: some of the most valuable building materials in Canada are being destroyed every day.

Growing up in Vancouver, I watched character homes and historic buildings disappear from neighbourhoods that had shaped generations of families. As I learned more about construction and demolition practices, I was shocked to discover that many of these homes contained old-growth Douglas fir, cedar, hardwood flooring, architectural millwork, doors, windows, and fixtures that were being sent directly to landfill despite retaining significant economic, cultural, and environmental value.

The traditional demolition model treats buildings as waste. We believed there had to be a better way. Instead of viewing a building at the end of its life as a disposal problem, we saw it as a materials bank filled with resources that could be recovered, reused, and reintegrated into the economy. That realization led to the creation of VEMA Deconstruction.

Our mission is to provide what we call a "Sustainable Demolition" option—combining abatement, strip-out, deconstruction, concrete recycling, excavation, and material recovery into a single integrated process. By carefully dismantling structures instead of mechanically destroying them, we can preserve valuable materials, reduce landfill waste, create employment opportunities, and keep embodied carbon locked into useful products for future generations.

For us, circularity is not simply an environmental concept. It is about respecting the value of resources, honouring the history embedded in our built environment, and creating a more resilient economy where materials continue to generate value long after a building's original purpose has ended.

How do you feel that implementing circular solutions will benefit the built environment, communities, and Canada?

The built environment represents one of Canada's greatest opportunities for circular transformation.

Every year, millions of tonnes of construction and demolition materials are generated across the country. At the same time, Canada faces housing shortages, rising material costs, increasing waste management pressures, and ambitious climate commitments. Circular construction has the unique ability to address all of these challenges simultaneously.

When materials are reused rather than discarded, we reduce landfill demand and decrease the need to harvest, manufacture, and transport new products. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions while preserving valuable natural resources. In the case of old-growth lumber, the environmental benefit is especially significant because the carbon remains stored within the wood for decades or even centuries longer.

Communities also benefit economically. Deconstruction creates more local jobs than traditional demolition because it relies on skilled labour, material handling, logistics, and processing. Recovered materials can support local manufacturers, designers, builders, and social enterprises while creating new market opportunities.

Some of the most valuable building materials in Canada are being destroyed every day.

There is also an important social dimension. Many recovered materials can be donated to charitable organizations, affordable housing initiatives, educational institutions, and community projects. In this way, circular construction extends the useful life of materials while generating social value beyond their original purpose.

For Canada, embracing circularity in the built environment represents an opportunity to become a global leader in sustainable construction. We have the expertise, the resources, and the innovation ecosystem necessary to demonstrate that economic growth and environmental responsibility can work together, rather than in opposition.

What do you consider to be your biggest success in advancing the circular economy in the built environment? Can you share any stories of impact your work has had that have surprised you?

One of our greatest successes has been demonstrating that deconstruction can operate at a commercial scale while delivering measurable environmental and economic outcomes.

To date, VEMA has helped divert approximately 1.5 million pounds of reusable building materials from landfill through more than 30 deconstruction projects. These materials include old-growth Douglas fir, cedar, architectural elements, doors, windows, flooring, cabinetry, and structural components that would otherwise have been destroyed.

What has surprised us most is how frequently people underestimate the value hidden inside aging buildings. We regularly encounter materials harvested from forests that existed centuries before modern sustainability policies were ever imagined. Once recovered and prepared for reuse, these materials often become highly sought-after resources for architects, builders, designers, and manufacturers.

One project that stands out involved recovering significant quantities of old-growth structural lumber from a building scheduled for demolition on the Saputo Factory project. Final numbers showed a recovery of approximately 40,000 pounds of tongue and groove old-growth Douglas fir 2x6 roof decking and 30,000 pounds of glulam beams, all from local old-growth forests. What was initially considered waste became a valuable resource that could continue serving new purposes for decades. Watching clients, architects, and community members begin to see these materials as assets rather than debris has been incredibly rewarding.

Perhaps the most meaningful impact, however, has been educational. Every project becomes an opportunity to change perceptions. When developers, municipalities, contractors, and property owners witness the volume and quality of materials that can be recovered, many begin to rethink what demolition should look like in the future.

What are some of the challenges you typically face working to advance the circular economy, especially within the built environment?

One of the biggest challenges is overcoming the perception that demolition is the only practical option.

The construction industry has spent decades optimizing linear processes designed around disposal rather than recovery. As a result, project schedules, procurement systems, regulations, and market expectations often favour the fastest path to landfill rather than the highest-value outcome.

Another challenge is infrastructure. Canada has invested heavily in waste management systems but comparatively little in material recovery, processing, grading, certification, and redistribution networks. For circular construction to scale, we need stronger systems that connect recovered materials with future users.

Education is another significant barrier. Many stakeholders still underestimate the financial, environmental, and social value of recovered building materials. There remains a misconception that reused materials are inferior to new products, despite the fact that many reclaimed materials outperform modern alternatives.

Policy consistency also remains a challenge. While some municipalities have implemented deconstruction requirements and circular procurement policies, adoption varies significantly across jurisdictions. Greater alignment between municipalities, provinces, and industry stakeholders would help accelerate progress.

Despite these challenges, momentum is growing rapidly. More organizations are recognizing the importance of embodied carbon, resource conservation, and material reuse. The conversation is evolving from whether circular construction is possible to how quickly it can be scaled.

Are there any upcoming initiatives, projects, trends, or advancements related to your work you'd like to share?

We are particularly excited about the next phase of VEMA's evolution, which focuses on expanding material recovery and processing capacity.

Our vision includes developing a dedicated reclaimed materials processing centre capable of receiving, sorting, denailing, grading, preparing, and distributing recovered building materials at scale. This infrastructure will help bridge a critical gap between deconstruction activities and end-market demand.

We are also actively supporting broader industry collaboration through educational initiatives, workforce development, municipal engagement, and advocacy efforts. We believe the future of circular construction depends on stronger partnerships between governments, industry, educational institutions, and community organizations.

There are also several emerging trends we find especially encouraging: interest in embodied carbon reduction continues to grow, circular procurement policies are gaining momentum, architects and designers are increasingly specifying reclaimed materials, and developers are beginning to recognize the business case for material recovery and reuse.

The conversation is evolving from whether circular construction is possible to how quickly it can be scaled.

These developments suggest that circular construction is transitioning from a niche practice into a mainstream opportunity.

Looking ahead, what are your hopes for the circular economy over the next decade, and how do you envision contributing to this vision? How can other individuals and organizations help support your mission and/or advance circularity in the built environment?

Over the next decade, I hope we reach a point where buildings are designed, managed, and deconstructed with future material recovery in mind from the very beginning.

I envision a future where every building is treated as a material bank, where recovery plans are standard practice, and where reclaimed materials move seamlessly through well-developed markets supported by modern processing infrastructure and digital tracking systems.

I would like to see circular procurement become standard across municipalities, educational institutions, and public agencies, and embodied carbon considered alongside financial costs in project decision-making. Most importantly, I would like to see recovered materials recognized as valuable resources rather than waste.

VEMA intends to contribute by continuing to demonstrate what is possible through practical action. We will continue recovering materials, expanding processing capacity, educating stakeholders, collaborating with industry partners, and advocating for policies that support circular outcomes.

Advancing circularity requires collective effort. Developers can prioritize deconstruction and material recovery. Architects can specify reclaimed materials. Governments can create supportive policies and procurement requirements. Educational institutions can train the next generation of circular economy professionals. Consumers can choose products and projects that prioritize resource conservation.

The transition to a circular built environment will not happen through the efforts of a single organization. It will happen through collaboration across the entire ecosystem. We believe Canada's greatest opportunity is not simply to reduce waste but to redefine how value is created, preserved, and passed forward through our built environment.

At VEMA, we are proud to be part of that journey.