Caracola: designing with what is available
A house in Canyelles exploring how to build with reclaimed materials and industrial surplus. Their availability, dimensions and qualities guide the project from the very first decisions.
We must build differently.
Circular construction and reuse.
Vision
Building with what already exists.
Mission
Making reuse operational.
Construction is Europe’s largest source of waste. And we keep demolishing what could be used again.
Manifesto
Buildings hold materials, resources, labour, knowledge and memory.
Demolition is a decision. So are conserving, transforming and reusing.
01Start with what exists
Before demolishing, assess whether a building can be maintained or transformed. When that is not possible, plan its deconstruction to recover its components and preserve the material, technical and human value they embody. Recycle only what cannot be reused.
02Know and share
To design with what already exists, we need to know it. Document components using shared criteria, check our claims and share the results of every project, failures included. What we learn can help others.
03Build the missing chain
Reuse requires those who dismantle, store, design, build and insure to work together. Today that chain does not exist. Connecting its actors and building agreements between them makes possible projects that no one could take on alone.
04Make it viable
Be clear about costs, even when reuse is more expensive. Understand what drives costs up, optimise what is within our reach and promote projects that activate the market. And point out which conditions must change for reuse to scale.
05Change the rules from within
Regulations, contracts, public procurement, insurance and liability: identify the barriers that hold reuse back and work to remove them. Adapt existing instruments and develop new ones that allow reuse to be adopted with guarantees.
The city is a reserve of materials. Let’s use it.
Insights
We share what we know and what we think.
Teide refractory bricks
New refractory bricks that were never used: second-grade surplus from the Teide factory. Over 5,000 units in Calanda (Teruel), from €0.47 each.
What is a pre-demolition audit
How can we reuse what is already built if we do not know what we have?
“Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.”
Popular saying