Description
Circularity is gaining ground as a strategy to realize a sustainable building economy. In fa-çade retrofit projects we observe many circular claims, mainly referring to ‘future’ valorisa-tion of building components (e.g., reversible design). However, we experience that the actual reuse, repurposing, and refurbishing of existing façade components is limited to niche prac-tices today. For instance, a conservative approach in heritage projects can be a key driver for reuse of existing building components. Although heritage projects cannot be compared di-rectly to non-heritage renovation projects due to different legal and financial contexts, they can provide insights into recurring barriers, such as technical, logistical, and organizational aspects. Therefore, this research identifies how recurring barriers in heritage projects are tackled. We reflect on how these levers for reuse of existing façade components could be translated to conventional (non-heritage) practices.Three case studies of façade retrofit projects are selected: Commerzbank Düsseldorf (Ger-many), Schwimhalle Stuttgart-Feuerbach (Germany), and Centre Pompidou (France). Through a literature study and additional interviews with two involved actors per case, the following aspects of the projects are mapped: material flows, timeline, and value network (showing involved actors and their main interactions). By comparing these aspects to con-ventional practice, specific solutions to recurring barriers are identified. The project sheets resulting from each case study analysis could be used in practice to inspire and increase the perceived feasibility of uncommon reuse practices.
This study shows that conventional practices can learn from heritage projects when it comes to reuse of façade components. The themes in which solutions are identified include, for ex-ample, the coordination and tendering process, technical feasibility studies, take-back logis-tics, and the available network of materials specialists. Yet, also some pitfalls were identified in heritage projects that were hindering the reuse or preservation of materials. First, we no-ticed that some components (such as recent PVC window frames) were replaced before they reached the end of their technical lifespan, as they did not comply to the original looks. A renovation master plan with an execution in different phases might prevent this. Second, in some cases it appeared that the focus on preservation was only considering the looks of the components. For instance, the unique curved glazing of the Centre Pompidou was replaced by new glazing with the same looks. This calls for a shift of focus to conservation of materi-als and leads to the question which materials are perceived as sufficiently ‘valuable’ to be preserved.
| Periode | 6 sep 2023 |
|---|---|
| Evenementstitel | As Found: International colloquium on adaptive reuse |
| Evenementstype | Conference |
| Locatie | Hasselt, Belgium |
| Mate van erkenning | International |