ReBuilt

Transformation Pathways Towards a Regenerative Built Environment – or ReBuilt – promotes the novel concept of a regenerative built environment and demonstrates how it can be put into practice worldwide.

The research, roadmaps, toolkits, and policies generated in the ReBuilt project work towards reversing the negative impacts of construction on the climate through a fundamental change in the way we design and maintain our built environment and landscapes. The goal is to turn the built environment from a carbon source to a carbon sink through the adoption of regenerative building practices. In doing so, we can improve and preserve habitats for people and the planet.

Central to achieving this goal is the rethinking of construction materials and practices worldwide. In order to do so, the ReBuilt Project engages holistically with regional and global supply chains, including their socio-spatial, ecological, and political dimensions. We analyse and advocate for using bio- and geo-based materials, such as wood, bamboo, hemp, and compressed earth blocks, as well as secondary materials such as reused and recycled building components.

The ReBuilt Project has two research strands: a global study and a series of regional case studies. The Global Study quantifies the supply and demand of bio-based materials for future urban construction worldwide. The four Case Studies – Berlin-Brandenburg (Germany), Cape Town (South Africa), Denpasar-Bali (Indonesia), and Paro-Thimphu (Bhutan) – promote transformative action by engaging with local stakeholders, identifying opportunities, and testing them through demonstration projects.

The project aims to advance the adoption of regenerative building materials by combining quantitative assessments with qualitative field research at multiple scales. Our interdisciplinary and international team employs a variety of methods including lifecycle assessments, spatially explicit resource assessments, transformation labs, and participatory engagement. The results will be disseminated in various multi-media formats.

ReBuilt is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV). The duration of the project is between 02/2023 and 12/2025.

The research design of the regional studies includes three iterative phases:

1. ‍Systems Analysis of the regionally available natural building materials, the characteristics of the local construction sector, the socio-spatial conditions of the built environment, as well as the actors, policies, and innovation landscape needed to implement the envisioned transition.‍
2. Transformation Labs are transdisciplinary learning journeys that bring together key stakeholders to co-create and test alternative visions and transition scenarios.‍
3. Development of Strategic Roadmaps including scalable solutions to guide the short, medium, and long-term transition towards a regenerative built environment.

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