Circularity in the New Gravity—Re-Thinking Vernacular Architecture and Circularity

Abstract

The mounting climate change crisis and the rapid urbanization of cities have pressured many practitioners, policymakers, and even private investors to develop new policies, processes, and methods for achieving more sustainable construction methods. Buildings are considered to be among the main contributors to harmful environmental impacts, resource consumption, and waste generation. The concept of a circular economy (CE), also referred to as “circularity”, has gained a great deal of popularity in recent years. CE, in the context of the building industry, is based on the concept of sustainable construction, which calls for reducing negative environmental impacts while providing a healthier indoor environment and closing material loops. Both vernacular architecture design strategies and circular economy principles share many of the same core concepts. This paper aims at investigating circular economy principles in relation to vernacular architecture principles in the built environment. The study demonstrates how circular principles can be achieved through the use of vernacular construction techniques and using local building materials. This paper will focus on Egypt as one of the oldest civilizations in the world, with a wide vernacular heritage, exploring how circularity is rooted in old vernacular settlements and how it can inspire contemporary circular practices.

Defining Wellness-Focused Design for Rural Tourism: Study Case of Penanggungan Village

“…The use of local material can minimize the environmental footprint during infrastructure development process [30]. It can also avoid harmful material that can pollute the environment with toxic chemical waste or consume energy more [32]. Also, exposing local material in building design can strengthen the cultural authenticity while embracing craftsmanship of local people.…”

Benefits of Circular Design Adoption in the Nigerian Building Industry

“…The NBI has been challenged with the investment cost in building development as well as the concerns boardering on foreign exchange rate associated with the importation market. Research has shown that there are significant opportunities for adopting CD (Minunno et al, 2020) in developing economies in Africa (Dabaieh et al, 2021), particularly in Nigeria (Ogunmakinde, 2019), as the innovation is relatively new in the region. The significance of circular industrial activities in bringing about sustainable development in Nigeria was stressed by Ogunsanwo & Ayo-Balogun (2020).…”

Vernacular Heritage as a Response to Climate: Lessons for Future Climate Resilience from Rize, Turkey

“…However, these interventions are often poorly integrated into historic buildings [6] and cause rapid deterioration, including thermal discomfort [7]. In many cases, vernacular heritage is less energy-demanding and more environmental friendly than modern construction systems [8]. With today's environmental concerns, low-cost techniques and environmentally friendly and energy efficient solutions such as those used in vernacular buildings are in demand once again [9].…”