Scope

Reuse is one of the highest strategies in the R ladder. In the NL, the number of buildings being deconstructed instead of demolished has increased. Several exemplary cases bare testimony to the potential of reuse on reducing the consumption of primary abiotic resources and reducing the carbon footprint of (new) buildings such as the Circl building in South Amsterdam (Architekten Cie), the BioPartner 5 building in Leiden (PTSA), the Boschgaard (Superuse studio) or the recent dismantling of the Scheveningen theatre which will be now moved to Oss (Cepezed). At the same time, an emergent network of reclaimed materials resellers is also being established, acquiring a significant presence in the building materials market (opalis.eu). Nevertheless, only a small percentage of reclaimed building components will find their way into reuse. Several factors still exist that hinder reuse practices namely liability issues, mismatch of demand to availability, and the lack of sufficient information to allow for an easy design integration. Addressing these hindrances is paramount for the successful implementation and scaling up of reuse practices.

From deconstruction to design

This edition of the summer school will follow the processes required for reuse from demolition to implementation through thematic lecture contributions and specific case studies’ analyses. It will further focus on the design and making aspects. More specifically, we will explore ways for reintegrating reused elements originating in deconstruction back in design (Design from Disassembly/ DfromD). We will further explore options for prolonging their lifespan through maintenance, repair and remanufacturing (Design for longevity/ DforL). Moreover, we will be investigating the designing of products/buildings in a manner that allows them to be easily taken apart and reused again (Design for Disassembly/ DforD). And lastly, we will explore ways for increasing the use of biotic and bio-polymer resources and investigate how by combining reused elements with biobased materials we can lower the carbon footprint of new constructions. 

During this time, we will discuss digitalization innovations, manufacturing methods and business models (such as servitization) and organizational schemes (P2P systems and digitalization) that allow built environment and manufacturing companies to carry out all the afore mentioned activities and build on long-term visions of their sustainability goals.

Prototyping

We will test our ideas by prototyping two 1:1 scale sections of reused steel structures. We will use one of them to further integrate reused facades components and the other to explore the integration of biobased facades components. Students from technical schools will be consulting us during design but will also work together with us to develop the prototypes.