The most sustainable buildings are the ones already standing. With the construction sector accounting for nearly half of all material extraction, it’s essential to leverage existing structures to minimise resource consumption. How can we find new purposes for buildings through adaptive reuse? And when that’s not feasible, how can we effectively recycle and reuse materials and structures from existing buildings?
Based upon projects conducted in the European project CityLoops and by Vandkunsten architects, this session will present a panel of solutions ranging from transformation to demolition and construction. These projects have optimised the use of existing buildings and materials, significantly reducing resource consumption in the building sector. The session will highlight the solutions found, while stressing the challenges the sector is still facing to become more circular.
Real-life examples will illustrate these principles in action, including:
- The adaptive reuse of (part of) an old City Hall for housing, focusing on the reuse and recycling of targeted elements and material (Ikano Housing).
- The valorisation of old factory halls through local material reuse and recycling in Musicon (Roskilde Municipality).
- The creation of aesthetic value by connecting the present and past through reusing structures and materials for housing and pavilions (Vandkunsten Architects).
