Reversible architecture : Reuse of timber building parts in circular design

Sammanfattning: The construction industry has a great impact on the environment but there is a great potential for improvements. In the era of climate change, sustainable construction methods and ecological solutions are required to improve energyefficiency, and to decrease the environmental impact of housing development. Circular Economy is considered a feasible solution to global sustainability issues and related concepts seem increasingly more important to policymakers, academia, and industry. In construction, reversibility is paramount in enabling circularity. For instance, reversible connectors can enable the reuse of building parts and simplify disassembly activities, extending the lifecycle of the building part and thus preserving its carbon storage longer than usual.The overall aim of the research presented in this thesis is to explore the field of circular design strategies and untangle the huge web of available information which could hinder, rather than promote, reuse activities in the construction of timber buildings. In addressing the circular strategies to achieve sustainability in construction, the possibilities offered by reuse and recycling are investigated through a qualitative study based on interviews, followed by an extensive literature review aiming to deepen the understanding of the definition and the application field of reuse design strategies in timber-based buildings.Timber has proven to be, among others, a preferable material for circular building processes due to its potential in contributing to the global sustainable development goals in construction. It is crucial to early and properly identifythe different building parts in order to achieve these goals and to compile and exchange information on existing building parts and materials throughout the building lifecycle in digital form. It is, therefore, fundamental to re-thinkthe design process, especially the early design stage, to design for disassembly and adaptive reuse of building parts and so align with the concept of the circular economy. The link between the end of life and the design phase by means of a deconstruction plan, smooth disassembly of each layer or part of a building, and the use of reversible connectors, are the main features of design for circularity. Designers need not only to consider the principle of designing for long life and adaptability in the building layers but also to avoid a bias toward prefabrication if they aim for a sustainable built environment. Reversible architecture could represent the future of construction, but also a new challenge for designers and contractors.