Research Outline
Currently, the process of using reclaimed building elements involves a labor-intensive search and is still more costly in terms of time, money, and effort. The platforms that collect these elements are scattered and gather resources of varying qualities and standards based on different requirements. This fragmentation hinders the effective evaluation of available components, highlighting the necessity for a centralized platform to access data on the existing built stock.
The research envisions the establishment of a continent-wide market for reclaimed construction elements. The primary objective is to establish a participative network that facilitates the connection between building owners, construction companies, architects, and planners, ensuring the efficient exchange of element stocks. This network will be supported by clear protocols for reclamation and thorough processes for recertification. By implementing these protocols, the visibility and integration of available elements into digital planning software will be improved, providing a centralized source of building information and a digital representation of real-world entities.
When exploring suitable information structures for market exchange, Building Information Modelling (BIM) serves as the ideal data format for enabling widespread access to existing built stock. BIM acts as a unified source of building information, creating a digital representation of real-world entities that encompasses their characteristics in terms of both data and function. The data component describes the objects’ state, while the function component outlines their behaviors under specific conditions. This comprehensive approach offers an efficient means of accessing and utilizing building information.
Additionally, the utilization of computational optimizations can minimize obstacles in the selection of appropriate element pieces during a stock-constrained design process. By considering factors such as transport costs, ease of disassembly, and availability timeframe, this approach involves the development of algorithms that generate structural layouts with the highest possible rate of reuse. The computational optimizations progress from Form-Finding to Part-Finding, allowing for multiobjective optimization to determine both the optimal form and the most suitable part for a specific application.
