This would give a good use for Carpentry (Deconstruction) and Smithing (Salvage of metal items), as well as give incentive to remove long abandoned or unwanted structures from the world.
Deconstruction:
Objects that could be realistically deconstructed are now able to be taken apart. When deconstructing an object or structure, you are able to reclaim amounts of resources that went into the construction based on your Carpentry level versus the quality of the object. This process is considerably longer than destroying the object, but wouldn't have to deal with hurdles such as soak value.. Examples of structures/objects that could be deconstructed are buildings (Log Cabin, Stone Mansion, etc.), Herbalist Tables, Wagons, Looms, Kilns. It's highly likely that palisades and brick walls are unable to be deconstructed, for balance reasons.
A possible caveat might be that objects like Steel Crucibles and Finery Forges cannot have the metals used in construction reclaimed unless the deconstructing player has proper metalworking skills unlocked, and Steelworking allows the reclaiming of steel, and Deep Artifice increases the metal reclaim chance.
Salvage:
Armour and Equipment made from metals can be salvaged at an alloying crucible(?). Only the metals in the item can be salvaged, and the amount of metal reclaimed is calculated by player Smithing versus item quality.
I understand that this would be a complex system to implement, but I'm curious if it could be done and if it would fit the nature of the game.