Rotor is a non-profit research and design practice based in Brussels. It was founded to better understand material flows in the economy, and foster reuse strategies. Its spin-off company Rotor DC specialises in the salvage and supply of reusable building components and furniture.

Michaël Ghyoot, project manager at Rotor, discusses what is involved in reusing building materials: from carrying out reclamation audits to cleaning, preparing, storing, and actually reusing the components themselves. He also describes how reuse requires a different way of thinking about construction projects – how conservation must be prioritised over demolition, and how skilled labour is needed throughout the whole process, from the demolition phase to the reuse of materials in a new project.

Episode credits:

Interview by Arabelle de Saussure. Produced and edited by Jennifer Bartmess. Music by Coma Media. © Chair of Circular Engineering for Architecture at ETH Zurich