The past in the future: Investigating values of circularity

In the past, buildings and built structures were reused and transformed and, as a consequence, they had a long lifespan and materials degraded very slowly. With modernism, however, building changed and architectural structures became part of the throwaway culture. In connection with social transformation towards sustainable development and the future prediction of scarce and expensive resources, it is important to bear in mind that existing buildings and built structures form an immense material legacy and harbour great potential for circularity.

This research examines whether theories and methodologies of architectural conservation may promote circularity in existing buildings and built structures. Consequently, the primary objective is to investigate how readings and analyses of the (historic) building fabric and the assessment of values can develop and qualify circularity in existing buildings. A further objective is to challenge and broaden our understanding of values related to circularity.

The first part of the article explores the development of values in architectural conservation with a view to exploring circular values. To achieve this, the article will present a number of case studies. The second part of the article comments on the extent to which values-based methodologies of architectural conservation have the potential to aid future circularity in existing buildings.