A Study on the Sustainable Material Recycling System of the Rebuilding Center

Abstract

(Background and Purpose) Today, the need for sustainability is increasing in various fields such as society, culture, economy, architecture, and design, and it has developed into the concept of sustainable development, which has a great impact on society as a whole. In particular, in terms of architectural design, reuse is a process of recreating space beyond the simple reuse of space, reducing waste of resources, enabling flexible response to changes in the times, and including ways of utilizing materials in a circular manner while maintaining existing structures as much as possible. The Rebuilding Center is a non-profit organization that plays an important role in promoting the reuse and recycling of building and construction materials. This is a waste reduction strategy that goes beyond simple recycling, maximizing resource efficiency while minimizing environmental impact. Therefore, this study was aimed to propose the possibility of applying the operational characteristics and performance of the sustainable material recycling system of the rebuilding center to the domestic architecture and design industry and environmental policies. (Method) This study established a theoretical background by examining previous research related to sustainable architecture, design, and reused materials. In addition, based on the official web-based sources of the Rebuilding Center, it closely analyzed the center's history, operational programs in the form of resource circulation to derive the characteristics and sustainability performance of those programs. (Results) The main operational programs of the Rebuilding Center included deconstruction and material recovery, material resale and distribution, education and community engagement, operation of major services on online platforms, and operation of online and offline material stores. The first sustainability performance was the social enterprise and job creation, which provided jobs to local residents during the deconstruction and material recycling process, creating economic opportunities. Second, the environmental burden caused by the production and transportation of new materials was minimized by increasing the use of reused materials to reduce waste and carbon emissions generated during construction and deconstruction processes. Lastly, it was not just a store that sold recycled materials, but an important platform to create a culture of sustainable architecture and spatial design in connection with the local community, creating a virtuous cycle of material recovery, reused material sales, education and community activities, job creation, and environmental protection. (Conclusions) The Rebuilding Center's sustainable material recycling system breaks away from the existing linear production-use-disposal pattern and has established a method of sustainable utilization of building materials and buildings through the reuse of resources. However, in order for reuse architecture and design to take its place effectively, it is necessary to induce the revitalization of reuse design through legal and administrative support and incentive systems that encourage the sustainable use of space.