Reuse of architectural elements : shaping urban sustainability

Innovating the most resource-intensive sectors of our economy appears to be fundamental to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. If properly implemented during the design processes, circular approaches could limit the significant energetic and material footprint of construction, and foster its shift towards an ecological and context-wise sustainability. Within these practices, making use of reclaimed products and components in new buildings could broaden the positive impacts even more, involving both the environmental and the cultural perspectives. The essay examines the role played by the reuse of building elements in the architectural design and construction fields as means to safeguard both material and cultural resources - ultimately contributing to the Agenda 2030 goals. Starting from the institutional contemporary EU framework for resource efficiency, the paper focuses on Mediterranean architecture examples examining how reuse strategies have traditionally represented an expression of comprehensive sustainability- from the past to the contemporary context. The features and patterns distinguishing reclamation-based approaches in architecture are then examined in light of their several cross-cutting contributions to the SDGs’ targets. As much as implementing the reuse of building elements would promote sustainability, especially on the environmental and cultural sides, obstacles to the spread of these processes in the Mediterranean area still emerge - fields in which the essay outlines possible improvements.