From Symbolic and Sacred to Economic and Efficient: Circular Economy and the Buildings

In the contemporary society, the idea of circular economy and the 3-5-7 “R”s (repair-reuse-recycle and several variations and additions of “R”s on the same theme) is advertised as a means to reduce the carbon emissions and the energy consumption. The idea of product recycling pops-up every few decades as a statement but—as many other ideas—it is in fact an ancient behavior that was not theoretized until the twentieth century. Where constructions are concerned, circular economy was a reality in every historic epoch: components from abandoned sites or ruins were used to build anew, according to principles and requirements of the given period. Buildings changed their functions and began a new life-cycle. Circular economy is synonym, at the scale of the buildings, with conversions and, at the scale of components, with the recuperation, refurbishment, and reuse of building materials. There are cases where the symbolism and the metaphoric or sacred load carried by some materials and components was the engine for integrating old elements in new assemblies. The aim of this chapter is mainly to point out that, in the effort of providing an energy-efficient building, architects benefit from leverages that were confirmed in thousands of years of practice: reclaimed materials and components with low embodied energy. However, the effort of recuperating anything and everything at all costs sometimes increases the overall energy consumption or represents a health hazard for the humans.