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Arch World Review Spain · Europe · Business · Technology 14 July 2026
Architecture

Circular architecture begins before demolition: designing to retain, dismantle and reuse

Existing buildings are becoming material banks, while adaptation gains value over automatic replacement.

By AWR Editorial Desk 14 July 2026 1 min
Matadero Madrid, a former industrial complex adapted for cultural use

Spain's Circular 2030 strategy identifies construction as a major consumer of resources and an equally significant generator of waste.

The architectural response cannot begin when demolition containers arrive. It must start when deciding which structure, facade, technical system or material can remain in service.

The existing building as a resource

Retaining a structure avoids new extraction, transport and manufacturing. Adaptive reuse also preserves urban memory and keeps activity within established neighbourhoods.

Designing for disassembly

Reversible connections, accessible layers and identifiable materials make components easier to repair or separate. Material passports can record origin, composition and reuse potential.

A new economic structure

Circularity requires inventories, storage, technical guarantees and markets for recovered products. Environmental value becomes normal practice only when a reliable business chain also exists.


Editorial sources

Photograph: Madrid – Matadero Madrid (36176923985).jpg · Fred Romero from Paris, France · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons