{"id":23216,"date":"2026-06-26T09:19:48","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T09:19:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonavistadev.com\/?p=23216"},"modified":"2026-07-01T07:58:53","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T07:58:53","slug":"trash-to-treasure-applying-circular-architecture-at-bonavista-bridge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonavistadev.com\/en\/blog-en\/trash-to-treasure-applying-circular-architecture-at-bonavista-bridge\/","title":{"rendered":"Trash to Treasure: Applying Circular Architecture at Bonavista Bridge"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Arquitectura\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Rehabbing a building isn’t just about updating its spaces, it’s also about responsibly managing the materials already there.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With\u00a0Batlleiroig<\/strong><\/a>, the architecture firm responsible for the project, we\u2019ve implemented a strategy akin to urban mining at Bonavista Bridge (Av. Icaria), showing how one site’s trash can become another site\u2019s treasure, a basic principle of\u00a0circular construction\u00a0<\/strong>on large-scale projects.<\/p>\n

This practice is based on\u00a0recycling components<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0reintroducing them into the urban fabric<\/strong>, an approach that completely transforms the traditional building lifecycle. With this practice, we\u00a0prevent overexploitation of new natural resources<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0reduce the environmental impact<\/strong>\u00a0of our interventions starting at the demolition phase.<\/p>\n

1. Selective demolition: salvaging original granite<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The way we worked on the original facade at\u00a0Bonavista Bridge<\/strong>\u00a0allowed us to recover\u00a015,600 ft\u00b2 of granite cladding<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Thanks to selective demolition, we prevented this granite from turning into demolition waste, something common in a conventional process, foregoing the opportunity to utilize recyclable material with high construction and environmental value.<\/p>\n

However, under the circularity criteria defined with Batlleiroig, these components were treated as a valuable\u00a0urban resource reserve<\/strong>, ready to be reintroduced in the construction cycle. The goal is to\u00a0facilitate direct reutilization<\/strong>\u00a0of these materials in new environments and demonstrate that\u00a0sustainable architecture<\/strong>\u00a0also involves building on and\u00a0making the most of what has already been built<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The preservation of these natural stone blocks not only\u00a0prevents strain on local landfills<\/strong>, but also\u00a0reduces the need to open new mining fronts<\/strong>\u00a0in distant quarries. By treating the city’s very fabric as a source of usable resources, we cut down supply chains and guarantee that the historical value of original materials stays alive within the region\u2019s manufacturing economy.<\/p>\n

Immediate impact on the Roques Blanques cemetery<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The effectiveness of this strategy is now a tangible reality. A total of\u00a03,230\u00a0ft\u00b2 of granite\u00a0<\/strong>recovered from the Vila Ol\u00edmpica project has already been reused in its entirety to\u00a0pave the Roques Blanques cemetery.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This movement has allowed us to provide a second life to\u00a016 tons of stone<\/strong>, transforming them into\u00a0secondary raw materials<\/strong>. This foregoes the environmental toll of traditional extractive processes, specifically preventing the extraction of\u00a065\u00a0ft<\/strong>2<\/strong>\u00a0of quarry stone.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This also demonstrates the viability of controlled circular material flows. Instead of processing new industrial flooring requiring large amounts of water and energy, the direct transfer of this granite ensures a structured integration into new urban infrastructure.<\/p>\n

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  1. Impact indicators: drastic emissions reduction<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Direct reuse of high-density materials, such as granite, provides immediate environmental benefit which can be audited and measured in terms of carbon footprint:<\/p>\n