Upcycling Strategies for Resilience Reconstruction Goals: A Case Study of an Italian Public Building

Abstract

This study examines the economic and financial implications of the upcycling process and Design for Disassembly (DfD) applied to an “authorial” building. The objective is to examine the economic benefits deriving from the reuse of construction materials by quantifying the savings obtained through the reduction of disposal costs and CO2 emissions in comparison with a traditional linear economic model. The methodological approach has been developed with the aid of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in order to provide an accurate estimation of both costs and environmental impacts related to the disassembly and reuse of materials. The financial analysis is based on local market prices to assess the savings associated with the reuse of building components compared to their disposal in landfills. The case study demonstrates the feasibility of this approach under real conditions, underscoring the transformative potential of upcycling in the construction industry, highlighting how this strategy can simultaneously improve economic efficiency and reduce environmental impact. The research offers a significant contribution to the debate on sustainable building practices and may serve as a starting point for future investigations.