Reincarnate is pleased to announce the publication of the paper “Towards Desirable Futures for the Circular Adaptive Reuse of Buildings: A Participatory Approach,” featured in the March 2025 issue of Sustainable Cities and Society (Vol. 122, 106259). The publication addresses the potential of adaptive reuse as a sustainable solution to the growing environmental challenges in the built environment, aligning with the goals of Reincarnate, which focuses on reducing construction and demolition waste while fostering circular economy principles.
Adapting Buildings for Sustainability
The article, co-authored by Brian van Laar, Angela Greco, Hilde Remøy, Vincent Gruis, and Mohammad Hamida (all from our Consortium partner Delft University of Technology) explores the complexities and opportunities of adaptive reuse in the context of circular economy principles. It underscores how repurposing existing structures – rather than building new ones – can significantly reduce waste, conserve resources, and lower CO2 emissions.
However, adaptive reuse faces many challenges, including conflicting stakeholder interests and the inherent uncertainty in assessing the potential of older buildings for reuse. This study aims to address these challenges through a participatory, mixed-methods approach that integrates innovative tools, including the Cross-Impact Balance (CIB) analysis and creative scenario-building techniques.
AI-Powered Scenarios for Circular Building Reuse
To overcome the complexities of decision-making in adaptive reuse projects, the authors developed a novel methodology combining expert-driven CIB analysis with participatory scenario workshops. This method produced 15 diverse scenarios that capture potential futures for circular building reuse.
Incorporating generative AI tools such as ChatGPT-4 and DALL-E, the authors enriched these scenarios with narrative elements and visualizations, enhancing stakeholder engagement and providing clearer, more accessible depictions of future possibilities. The scenarios allow stakeholders to visualize the potential impact of their decisions on the building’s lifecycle and its alignment with broader sustainability goals.
Key Benefits of the New Approach
- Inclusive Decision-Making: By involving various stakeholders in the scenario-building process, the methodology ensures that all perspectives are considered, making decision-making more inclusive and democratic.
- Clearer Visualization: AI-generated visualizations allow stakeholders to better understand how different decisions will shape the adaptive reuse process.
- Support for Circularity: The scenarios incorporate strategies for circular building adaptability, providing a comprehensive framework for making more sustainable and future-proof decisions.
This publication highlights the potential of combining participatory approaches with AI-powered tools to navigate the complex and uncertain landscape of adaptive reuse. It helps project teams envision a range of sustainable futures, while serving as a valuable tool for guiding decision-makers towards circular, resource-efficient outcomes.
By linking the developed scenarios with circular building adaptability strategies, the research paves the way for the integration of circular economy principles into adaptive reuse projects, offering practical tools that can drive real-world change.
Read the full article HERE