Amstel III – The Reuse City

This thesis shows the potential of reusing building components by setting an example. An existing office building is transformed and expanded, reusing almost all building components the building currently is comprised of. Additional materials are harvested from local buildings through urban mining.

This thesis proposes a solution for the challenges stated before. An existing, vacant office building in the Amstel III area in South-East Amsterdam is being transformed into an apartment building. The main goal is to reuse all existing building components, such as walls, floors, windows and doors, within the project. All additionally needed materials are largely to be retrieved locally by means of urban mining.\nUrban mining is the philosophy of seeing urban areas, such as cities and buildings, as potential material mines. Instead of constantly creating building materials out of newly mined raw materials, urban mining focuses on the recovery of materials and energy from products of the urban catabolism. So instead of demolishing buildings and downgrading the materials and components these buildings comprise of, they are harvested for reuse. \nFollowing the ideas of the circular economy, the built environment is currently undergoing a transition. Examples of this can be found in innovative architectural projects that experiment with new construction techniques and the reuse of building materials. Research has shown that in the past few years a lot of companies have invested money in online material marketplaces, where used materials and building components are being sold. This should lower the threshold for architects and builders to start reusing building materials and components. \nHowever, it has become clear that there still is a gap between the availability of used building components and the actual application of these components in building projects. This thesis aims to show the potential of reusing buildings and building components, as well as to inspire architects, developers, builders, demolition companies, municipalities and clients.