IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section A

Abstract

To decarbonize our urban futures circularity of building material is an essential contribution. Nevertheless, reuse and recycling processes are energy intensive, highly dependent on the control and management of material streams, the efficiency of reclaim, recycling and reconditioning processes, as well as proceedings and standards for controlling material and product quality for a second life as functional and durable building material. For these reasons reclaiming, transformation and reuse processes of building materials are so fare limited to certain material classes like bricks, metals or wood, which are either downcycled, recycled or refurbished for reuse. Overall circularity rates are still very low and innovative approaches are needed for their increase. This paper is a part of the research project called “Waste-based Intelligent Solar-control-devices for Envelope Refurbishment” Wiser, of “Ecological Transition and Digital Transition Projects” of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) with reference TED2021-130155B-I00, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union “NextGenerationEU”/PRTR. The project explores reuse concepts of waste materials for construction process with the specific focus on façade refurbishments. The paper presents 6 approaches to waste-based façade solutions for a school building in Barcelona and an initial evaluation of their sustainability and potential contribution to minimize the environmental impact of buildings through a comparison to new building materials and associated embodied and operational carbon emissions.