Reconnecting Waste Exploring Digital Fabrication Technologies for Circular Reuse of Out-of-Spec Bricks from Demolition

Abstract

Construction and demolition waste management in Europe is largely dominated by downcycling practices, despite long-standing recognition of reuse as a preferable alternative. Brick-based construction waste exemplifies this contradiction: although bricks remain materially durable, their reuse is constrained by demolition practices, standardization requirements, and coordination failures rather than by material performance. This paper presents a design-led research trajectory that investigates how reclaimed bricks can be re-engaged through iterative material documentation, digital modelling, and experimental prototyping. Digital fabrication is approached not as a solution-making technology, but as a mediating practice that enables negotiation between material irregularity, design reasoning, and construction workflows. Situated in Hamburg, the research frames reuse as a sociotechnical process and contributes situated knowledge on how architectural design can operate as an epistemic practice within circular construction transitions.