India, Nov. 5 -- Deconstruction includes careful dismantling of a building so that its components can be salvaged for reuse and recycling. One of the most closely followed examples in California was a Spanish Colonial Revival mansion in Woodside, a wealthy town south of San Francisco. Steve Jobs bought the property in 1984. He spent years fighting in court to demolish it, and it finally happened in 2011. At the time, a pipe organ, fireplace mantels, light fittings and other pieces had been carried out and a surprising number of them can still be traced today.

Architect George Washington Smith created the Jackling House for copper mining tycoon Daniel C. Jackling, and it was constructed between 1925 and 1926. With a spacious courtyard, be...