This article is derived from a feasibility study for a single-story elevation at the Kent School of Architecture and Planning (KSAP) in the United Kingdom. This project embraced two fundamental principles of the circular economy: flexibility of interior spaces and Design for Disassembly (DfD). The goals were to reduce the risk of demolition and preserve the value of the building material to empower its later use. These principles formed the solution for the structural frame. For this paper, the engineering phase was carried out to improve the structural connections designed according to DfD principles and following generative design methods.
Within the framework of the research and innovation strategy RIS3 “Sustainable Living” (POR-FSE, funded by the Veneto Region), for the improvement of the resilience and adaptation capacity of the Veneto territory to environmental crises and emergencies, the subject of the contribution returns the results of the participatory experimentation of the project H.E.L.P. Veneto ‘ High-efficiency Emergency Living Prototypes Veneto - Sustainable adaptive residences for temporary stay in environmental emergencies. The research concerns the design of a minimum flexible emergency living module, replicable on a large scale, multifunctional, sustainable, powered by off-grid systems and integrated into the built environment. The housing unit uses timber, a material linked to the local building tradition, whose prefabricated modular reversibility follows principles of circular reuse. Moreover, the constructive adaptability of the interior spaces is reflected in a “liquid space” capable of transforming itself according to the needs of the occupants. The paper introduces a form of participatory design of the emergency housing module, based on the engagement of small and large companies, related to different segments of the construction market, a leading sector in the economy of Veneto. The participatory approach borrows from Architectural Technology the tools needed to understand the characteristics of the settlement system, the potential of the project and the value of scientific stakeholder engagement in the process. Using the Soft System Methodology, direct investigation protocols have been constructed relating to the performance of the living unit. Using Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA), the results of the experimented survey (large-scale questionnaires) were decoded, interpreted and systematised. The processing of the answers allowed the stakeholders to validate the potential of the proposed module and, at the same time, to be informed about its characteristics. The innovation of the method lies precisely in the modelling phase, which makes it possible to integrate the results of the hard and soft data analyses and to make it clear how participation plays an essential role in the process of designing and validating the proposed module. Nell’ambito della strategia di ricerca e innovazione RIS3 “Sustainable Living” (POR-FSE, finanziato dalla regione Veneto), per il miglioramento della capacità di resistenza e di adattamento del territorio veneto a crisi ed emergenze ambientali, l’oggetto del contributo restituisce gli esiti della sperimentazione partecipata del progetto H.E.L.P. Veneto High efficiency Emergency Living Proto- types Veneto – Residenze adattive sostenibili per la permanenza temporanea in regime di emergenza ambientale. La sperimentazione riguarda la progettazione di un modulo minimo abitativo di emergenza flessibile, repli- cabile a larga scala, polifunzionale, sostenibile con impianti a funzionamento off-grid e integrato nell’ambiente costruito. L’unità abitativa utilizza il legno, materiale legato alla tradizione costruttiva locale, la cui reversibilità modulare prefabbricata segue principi di riuso circolare. Inoltre, l’adattabilità costruttiva degli ambienti interni si riflette in uno “spazio liquido” capace di trasformarsi in base alle esigenze dell’abitare. Il contributo propone una forma di progettazione partecipata del modulo abitativo emergenziale, basata sull’engagement delle realtà aziendali di piccole e grandi dimensioni, relative ai diversi segmenti di mercato dell’edilizia, settore trainante della regione Veneto. L’approccio partecipativo mutua dalla Tecnologia dell’Architettura gli strumenti di conoscenza atti alla comprensione delle caratteristiche del sistema insediativo, delle potenzialità del progetto e del valore dell’engagement scientifico degli stakeholder nel processo. Utilizzando la Soft System Methodology sono stati costruiti dei protocolli di indagine diretta che combinano la conoscenza prestazionale dei processi insediativi nell’unità ambientale. Mediante la Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA) sono stati decodificati, interpretati e sistematizzati i risultati della survey sperimentata (questionari ad ampia scala). L’elaborazione delle risposte ha fatto sì che il sapere esperto degli stakeholder validasse le potenzialità del modulo proposto informandosi, al contempo, sulle caratteristiche dello stesso. L’innovazione del metodo risiede proprio nella fase di modellazione, la quale permette di integrare i risultati delle analisi dei dati hard e quelle dei dati soft, e di rendere chiaro come la partecipazione svolga un ruolo essenziale nel processo di animazione e validazione del modulo proposto.
This study addresses the challenges and barriers associated with the implementation of circular economy principles in architectural design and construction practices. It highlights the fragmented knowledge and lack of a unified approach to circular design as a major obstacle hindering the adoption of circularity. The existing frameworks for assessing circularity, such as the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) protocol and the Level(s) assessment protocol, are applied to two projects with a high degree of deconstruction to understand their applicability in the architectural design process and identify their limitations. The study emphasises the significance of considering structural connectivity and circularity strategies during the concept-design stage, advocating for the incorporation of circularity at various scales beyond the microscale of materials. Furthermore, it emphasises the need for early implementation of Design for Disassembly (DfD) strategies on circularity scoring to enable meaningful comparisons of alternative designs using circularity metrics. The findings reveal the variability of circularity indicators based on the hierarchy of disassembly and highlights an early-stage design approach to deconstruction strategies to achieve circularity in architectural design. Overall, this study upscales the significance of a comprehensive and integrated approach to circularity in architectural design practices.
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