Re-Use in Construction: A Compendium of Circular Architecture

Re-using entire parts and components of existing buildings in the construction of new structures has become highly topical in European architecture discourse. Re-using elements that could last for decades longer, rather than destroying them, offers huge potentials in saving increasingly scarce resources and in cost reduction. Moreover, it makes construction more climate-friendly through deep cuts in energy consumption and the emission of greenhouse gasses. For millennia, disused buildings have been cannibalised for the construction of new ones. Yet in today’s world, what is known as circular architecture raises a multitude of questions and challenges with regard to technology, safety, energy, and to legal aspects.

This book is a unique compendium of circular architecture. It explores comprehensively and in detail all the questions and challenges that architects and engineers face with circular architecture designs. It is based on the case study of the K.118 project in Winterthur, Switzerland’s largest building to date that consists mainly of re-used parts. Since its outset in 2018, the K.118 project has been evaluated within the framework of an interdisciplinary research with regard to aspects of design and engineering, energy, economy, processes, and legal issues. This volume presents the results in striking visuals and concise essays, supplemented by illuminating conversations between experts.