Supply Chains in Transition for the Development of Building Components: Three Educational Experiences in a Circular Economy Perspective

Abstract

In line with the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the circular economy may become an opportunity for change even in the construction industry, which is traditionally distinguished for its high resource consumption and considerable waste generation. Schools of architecture play a crucial role because the transition towards a circular economy implies the necessary development of new professional figures with wide-ranging skills that may pave the way for new directions in R&D. This article describes three different learning experiences developed at Politecnico di Torino, which have in common the prospect of supply chains in transition. In particular, it discusses the following: the transition of waste from the agrifood chain to the design sector through the experimentation of panels for furniture; the integration of local supply chains for cork, sheep wool, and soil through the design of insulation blocks and panels; and the ‘as-is’ transition of an element originally used as packaging from the agrifood supply chain to the building envelope component sector. These experiences show the possibility of hybridization between sectors that are only apparently distant from one other. Above all, they can be considered ‘exercises’ to train future architects in the experimentation and transformation of matter, systemic design, and divergent and lateral thinking for the development of new building materials and components.