Circular Tectonics?: A critical discussion of how the architectural discipline can drive ecological continuity

Responding to the pressing global ecological challenges, recent environmental- and economic research call for a transition towards ‘circular economy’. This call gathers a series of emerging schools of thought rooted in ecological thinking, pointing to the fact that these challenges imply development of advanced interdisciplinary design approaches based on holistic concepts and a nuanced understanding of value. By suggesting the concept of 'Circular Tectonics' this paper outlines a critical entrance to the question of the possible role of the architectural discipline in the transition towards circular economy. This because tectonic thinking holds a series of potentials for establishing an ecology of means related to ends in architecture by linking its value (or meaning) to its construct. Associating the notion of tectonics with that of circularity, the paper aims to establish a critical framework for gathering, evaluating, and synthesizing ideas about ecological continuity, that feed into a circular architectural practice.