Building in the existing stock

Lunch Talk with Pascal Angehrn, Designer FH/VSI.ASAI, baubüro in situ

Every second, over 500kg of construction waste is produced in Switzerland through the demolition of buildings. The construction industry is thus responsible for 84% of the waste in Switzerland, and we are far from climate-neutral construction. baubüro in situ therefore plans according to the principles of reuse and promotes the establishment of the circular economy in the construction sector.

Circular building is not a limitation; rather, it can be understood as a construction method in its own right. However, reuse implies a change in thinking and a willingness to adopt a new perspective on the existing building stock. Thus, at the beginning of a project, the future building site can be read as a treasure map. Ceiling panels, built-in cabinets, ventilation ducts, electrical outlets, etc. are examined for their potential in terms of reuse. The entrepreneurs make a significant contribution here with their willingness to use specially tested components and materials or to get involved in planning with reused materials.

But building with reused components requires a lot of flexibility and new expertise. How can materials be processed, joined together or reinterpreted? How does circular building affect the construction process and the distribution of costs? What are the demands for dealing with architecture and what commissions result from the current urgencies? And how can existing qualities be dealt with in order to achieve an ecologically and socially sustainable transformation?

In this Lunch Talk, Pascal Angehrn reports on the activities and experiences of Baubüro in situ based on concrete projects in the Zurich area. He presents alternatives to yield-oriented replacement buildings and shows perspectives on how an ecological and socially acceptable densification of existing buildings is possible.