Circular Economy for the Built Environment: Reconciling the Actions and Intentions of Building Professionals in West Africa and Europe

Long before Circular Economy became a buzzword for sustainability-oriented businesses, it was in industrial practice as resourceful people acquired waste for sorting and reuse, often on a smaller scale. This model meant that materials had multiple lifecycles, reducing waste while providing auxiliary economic opportunities for some people. Architectural practice has typically relied on a linear model that produces, constructs, and uses materials until they become waste. The result is a failure to see deteriorating buildings as being at the start of a new life cycle, and instead marks their end by depositing the materials in a landfill. This paper compares different approaches to Circular Economy using examples from Africa and Europe. Its understanding and application in emerging economies differs from those of more developed economies, because building practitioners in the former approach Circular Economy from a need-based perspective, making use of discarded building materials and affordable, easily sourced natural resources to construct buildings that will serve low to middle-income families in the society. Contrastingly, economies like Europe take a more opulent approach, with iconic buildings that are built to serve more exemplary and experimental purposes than occupancy reasons.

https://doi.org/10.35483/ACSA.AM.110.51

Volume Editors
Robert Gonzalez, Milton Curry & Monica Ponce de Leon

ISBN
978-1-944214-40-1