The built environment remains the biggest consumer of natural resourc- es globally, with construction and demolition materials among the main sources of waste in developed countries. Technolgical advances in construction methods and materials alone are not sufficient to offset the environmental impacts of design and construc- tion processes; thus, circular design strategies should be developed and implemented to extend the lifespan of buildings, construction components and materials, keeping resources in use longer and at their highest value. Stretching this approach, this paper discusses potentials and limitations of urban mining for turning products at the end of their useful life (classified as urban waste) into a source of ‘as-new’ building products. Challenging conventional building design approaches, the paper explores alternative construction methods with low-grade materials and interro- gates the potential of using urban waste in high performance building con- struction. A temporary seaside facility in Liguria (Italy) is presented as an example of urban mining-based design, where type of recoverable materials, dis- tance from the building site, and collection time become additional, and yet critical, design criteria. Environmental and social impacts of urban mining at the city scale and further research opportunities are then discussed as possible venues to increase the uptake of this alternative design approach
Design experiences through “urban mining” processes
P. Leardini
2023-01-01
Abstract
The built environment remains the biggest consumer of natural resourc- es globally, with construction and demolition materials among the main sources of waste in developed countries. Technolgical advances in construction methods and materials alone are not sufficient to offset the environmental impacts of design and construc- tion processes; thus, circular design strategies should be developed and implemented to extend the lifespan of buildings, construction components and materials, keeping resources in use longer and at their highest value. Stretching this approach, this paper discusses potentials and limitations of urban mining for turning products at the end of their useful life (classified as urban waste) into a source of ‘as-new’ building products. Challenging conventional building design approaches, the paper explores alternative construction methods with low-grade materials and interro- gates the potential of using urban waste in high performance building con- struction. A temporary seaside facility in Liguria (Italy) is presented as an example of urban mining-based design, where type of recoverable materials, dis- tance from the building site, and collection time become additional, and yet critical, design criteria. Environmental and social impacts of urban mining at the city scale and further research opportunities are then discussed as possible venues to increase the uptake of this alternative design approachFile | Dimensione | Formato | |
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