Paper short abstract:

This paper analyzes the transformative nature of working towards circular supply chains in architecture in Europe from an actor perspective. Changing the logistics of building materials means finding new ways between supply and demand by considering the input of labour, skills and knowledge.

Paper long abstract:

Transforming from a “linear” towards a “circular economy” is at the heart of many ongoing civil society initiatives that aim to diminish waste and treat natural resources more carefully. This paper analyzes the reuse of building materials in Europe from an actor perspective based on ethnographic fieldwork in a small reuse company in Vienna. Reusing building materials is still a niche phenomenon in the overall construction industry mainly due to the complicated logistics of shifting materials from demolition to construction site. While processes in architecture usually rely on the steady supply of new, standardized materials that seem to be endlessly available, the practice of reuse challenges the current capitalist-oriented market as it departs from what is available. Instead of being thrown on the landfill, wood and steel components, bricks, tiles and windows can be deconstructed, transported, and reintegrated into new buildings. In a practice of skillful urban mining, changing the logistics of building materials means finding new ways between supply and demand. This includes the search for valuable materials on a demolition site, the development of logistical infrastructures for transporting and storing materials and the integration of reused objects into the structure of a new building. Understanding the transformative nature of working towards reuse and circular supply chains in architecture involves considering the input of labour, skills and knowledge at different stages of the cycle. Rather than in the pricing of raw materials, value is created through services around the movement of materials and objects.