Future-proof architecture in Kera
Circular construction concept competition
2023
Espoo, Finland
In collaboration with Vapaa Collective
The vision of the building design process exploring, developing and documenting the steps of the sustainable design process for the future designers of the Kera area. The vision has been produced in collaboration with the City of Espoo as part of a design competition.
The proposal includes a circular economy-compatible pilot project for a new, developing area in Espoo. At the same time, it explores, envisions and documents the circular design process from an architectural and building design perspective. In addition to the pilot building, the project will explore how and which kind of information building designers and other professionals will need at different phases of a building project that utilizes recycled material resources.
1. THE PREVAILING LINEAR CONSTRUCTION.
2.RIGHTING PHASE. Existing buildings designed to be linear are not directly suitable for dismantling, moving, recycling and reassembling. Before moving to the era of buildings designed for dismantling, the existing non-dismantling-designed building stock must be recycled. Polku envisages solutions primarily for this phase - the initial end of the linear process must be closed.
3. FUTURE BUILDINGS TO BE DISMANTLED. Recyclability and renovation will be taken into account in materials and details.
4. SUSTAINABLE RENOVATION AND ADAPTABILITY OF USES.
The digital platform serves designers and builders at all stages of the project:
The existing building stock in the Keran area is mapped and entered into the system. This includes data on the amount of materials, their condition, and estimated demolition schedules. The system also functions as a digital inventory of potential building materials, allowing for the direct transfer of materials from one demolition site to the next, minimizing the need for storage in between.
In addition to quantity and condition information, the system maintains a library of circular economy solutions for building materials. It not only lists currently available materials but also suggests potential uses for them and provides information on how and where similar recycling methods have been employed.
The objective of the project is to integrate urban mining as an integral part of the planning processes in cities and reduce the use of virgin materials in construction to an absolute minimum. The information available in the digital system is studied at the beginning of the construction project and revisited throughout the project as utilizing available materials requires flexibility and consideration throughout the entire design process.