Studio Insights: What’s Next Regarding the Reuse Market?

On March 20, Karolina Nyström will participate in the Ability Partners conference Future Office and Work Methods. Alongside Johan Jägbeck from Fabege, she will delve into sustainable and climate-smart office development, showcasing Fabege’s Återbrukskontor as a standout example. 

This office, also the winner of Sveriges Snyggaste Kontor 2023, was designed with one clear yet pioneering principle: to make reuse the sole rule governing every decision. 

Here Karolina shares her thoughts on the biggest trends regarding reuse right now:

• Reuse as a Hygiene Factor. Today, nearly everyone talks about reuse, to the point where it can almost be considered a hygiene factor for those aiming to be seen as sustainable. However, who is questioning what reuse actually entails? In the future, it will become even more crucial to demonstrate the new steps being taken in the context of reuse, where systematization and categorization, for example, become crucial – and to shift the focus from merely reusing furniture and loose items.

• Systematization of the Reuse Process. Meaningful reuse involves finding streamlined processes for systematization and categorization. We’re beginning to see the emergence of suppliers who wish to simplify the process for reusing building materials, and it will become increasingly important for property owners to either get on board or find new ways to catalog existing assets.

• Changed Perspective on Demolition and Dismantling. The trend of including building materials in the reuse process involves a deeper inventory and valuation of existing structures before demolition. Right now, we are witnessing a shift towards talking about dismantling rather than demolition. It undoubtedly requires flexibility and a willingness to compromise, but those who successfully evaluate what is already built can gain significantly. By inventorying, dismantling, and reusing, even in floor plans, one embraces a more sustainable and conscious approach to how we renew our spaces. Real reuse, in other words.

Studio Insights is a format where Studio Stockholm shares analyses, insights, and trend observations in interior architecture, architecture, and design.