Form follows availability: The reuse revolution

This study links construction-related overuse of resources to design strategies that enable architects to reuse building and waste materials. The strategies are applied in a design proposal in a local Swedish context. Stakeholders and material systems have been mapped applying a systems approach; sixteen interviews with different experts have been conducted; and a methodology for finding and evaluating materials suitable for reuse has been created. Based on that, a building design proposal employing circular design transformed into the concept “Form follows availability” has been developed, taking into account locally available materials, the lifetime of the building and specified materials, and resilience against changing functions, cultural perceptions, and climatic conditions. Results show that it is difficult to design a building solely with reused materials when confined to the existing system. Still, it generates realistic design strategies demonstrating that material reuse is both possible and desirable. To facilitate material reuse at scale, transformation of architectural education, improved material testing and documentation, and supporting logistics are required. The benefits - reduced waste, increased cultural value, attractive aesthetics - argue for architects, clients, and contractors alike to employ material reuse as an effective means to reduce the building industry’s negative impact on the environment.