MATERIAL LIBRARY
A digital platform for architects and builders
What Is THE MATERiAL LIBRARY
Most buildings are demolished without ever understanding what they contain.
Timber, brick, stone, steel, joinery and fixtures are often treated as waste simply because nobody has taken the time to document them.
The Material Library changes that.
Before demolition begins, materials are photographed, recorded and organised into a living digital record. Their story, condition, location and potential future are captured before they leave the site.
Nothing becomes waste by default.
At The Wattle Road, we believe materials matter.
Not just because of what they are made from, but because of where they came from and the life they have already lived.
The Material Library helps project teams see a building differently - not as something to be removed, but as a collection of resources that can continue their story.
Why We Built It
The Material Library was developed through our own recovery and reuse projects at The Wattle Road.
In 2026, it was adopted as part of Mountain on Fire - a zero-waste EnerPHit renovation of a 1904 Federation terrace in Camperdown, NSW, delivered with Alexander Symes Architects.
The project represents the most ambitious use of the system to date, helping document, track and recover materials throughout the renovation process.
Not as an aspiration.
As a documented outcome.
Used With Alexander Symes Architects
How It Works
Before demolition begins, the building is documented room by room.
Each material is recorded, linked to its location and tracked throughout its journey.
For every material, four things happen:
It is identified.
It is documented.
It is tracked.
It is given a pathway forward.
That pathway may lead back into the same project, into another building, into furniture or joinery, or into a recycling stream where reuse is no longer possible.
Express Interest
The Material Library is currently available for architects, builders and project teams working on renovation, adaptive reuse and demolition projects across New South Wales.
If you would like to explore how it could support your project, we'd love to hear from you.