Urban mining potential in demolition and design for innovative material reuse within a circular model

Abstract

A significant Soviet-era building from the 1970s in Moscow was demolished in 2019 after being excluded from the heritage list and left abandoned for an extended period. Constructed with bricks, precast slab panels, and a steel roof, the building underwent rapid destruction by machinery. The metals were sent to a recycling facility, while the concrete-brick mixture was transported to a dumping site, where it was partially stored and landfilled. The demolition process was monitored daily and documented through photographs, forming the initial phase of the current research. This research focused on creating an urban mining strategy to enhance the circularity of materials within an innovative architectural design. Detailed observations were made regarding the unit types and bonding style, the characteristics of the precast panels and jointing technique, the materials and fabrication of the trusses. This information was used to identify potential end-of-life applications for the materials within a circular model from around the world. The research identified a strategy that prioritized deconstruction and reuse, which included cutting and reshaping walls into new load-bearing blocks, slicing slab panels and reassembling them into perforated facades, and converting the trusses into cross-braced columns. Using 3D modelling, each stage of the proposed scenario—including the state of the components and their transformation into new architectural materials—was digitally visualized. Additionally, the necessary tools and processes for this transformation in a real-world context were determined. Finally, the innovative architectural appearance created from these repurposed materials, showcasing their rich composition and textures, was presented. The benefits of the proposed management strategy were highlighted, emphasizing the intrinsic and architectural value of the materials, as well as their positive environmental and social aspect.