The Rehabilitation of Buildings from the Perspective of Circular Economy Principles

Abstract

The Material Bank (MB) of the city of Porto (Portugal) is an emblematic case that operates in the design phase of the rehabilitation of buildings from the perspective of the circular economy, acting as intermediation of information as a strategic resource in favor of the creation of a network of partners for the preservation of the old quarter with its historical and architectural heritage of the city. In this context, the study analyzes the actors, expectations and values with an emphasis on the circular economy and mitigation of construction and demolition waste. It consists of an exploratory-descriptive research, from qualitative nature, which uses bibliographical and documentary research to describe and analyze the Constructive Materials Bank of Porto City Council as a public policy capable of acting in the transition of the circular economy, noting that information is the key element in the mechanisms of reputation and trust, in the implementation of building rehabilitation projects and in the relationship between citizens and the city. The MB is an innovative model of public policy in managing and providing building materials of historical and architectural value. The idea is to align the heritage and cultural value of buildings with the principles of the circular economy.