New Arup playbook shows how industry can move from demolition to reuse

Arup this week published a comprehensive guide for what all parties in the construction supply chain – including architects, cost consultants, contractors and developers – need to do to start recycling materials and whole buildings.

Every week, humans build an area equivalent to the city of Paris, consuming around half of all raw materials extracted globally.

Reusing buildings and their components and materials is the only way to break this unsustainable dynamic, the company said.

Its new Reuse Playbook, created with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Circular Leaders Group, tackles what Arup believes is the biggest barrier to reusing materials and components at scale: the uncertainty over the performance and reuse potential of structures and reclaimed materials.

It sets out how design teams can use digital material passports and advanced testing methods to make reuse, recycling and upcycling more predictable and commercially viable. This would retain the value that is often lost in premature demolition.

It also shows how the future value of components can be accounted for in cost plans with a view to turning a perceived cost into a measurable long-term benefit.

Arup notes that external pressures like carbon taxes, subsidies, government mandates and ESG commitments are now making a stronger financial case for reuse and recycling.

For example, the City of London’s ‘Retrofit First’ rules obligate developers to justify demolition and potentially reward reclamation. Carbon credit savings associated with reclaimed materials are another incentive.

The playbook says clearer data, better testing and consistent processes can give developers and insurers more confidence in reuse, particularly on complex retrofit schemes.

Some 10% of the world’s 40,000 tall buildings are nearing the end of their life and face demolition.

Arup says we should view them not as scrap but as quarries of vital material. Many are structurally sound but need upgrading to meet modern standards and new use requirements.

A good example of this is the 1976-built Quay Quarter Tower in Sydney, Australia. Arup worked on its 2018-21 refurbishment. It’s considered to be the world’s first upcycled skyscraper and was recently named a finalist for the Earthshot Prize.

The project retained 65% of the original floorplates and structure and 98% of structural walls and core, saving 12,000 tonnes of embodied carbon.

It’s the first commercial tower to retrofit double-deck lifts, freeing 120 sq m per floor and avoiding nine lift shafts.

The playbook shows how advances in AI and digital tools can give project teams clearer evidence about what can be retained, refitted or reclaimed.

In London, Arup used AI-driven vibration assessments to analyse a 29-storey 1960s office tower. It showed the tower needed less strengthening work than assumed, establishing the viability of refurbishment over demolition.

At Euston Tower, Arup extracted and tested cast in-situ concrete slabs to show they could be used as new precast elements. It’s one of the earliest examples of structural concrete reuse.

Immersive 3D modelling can also test retrofit options before construction, allowing teams to compare scenarios and avoid unnecessary interventions.

Project owners can use digital material passports to map the condition and reuse potential of thousands of building components.

“Demolition should no longer be the default,” said Stephen Fernandez, global retrofit leader at Arup.

“Advances in AI and digital assessment tools now give us far greater certainty about the condition and potential of existing buildings and their components – making retrofit, reuse and upcycling more predictable and commercially viable.

“At a time of energy volatility, reducing reliance on energy-intensive materials is not just a sustainability issue; it’s a commercial imperative for property developers.”

Insurer AXA Group welcomed the playbook.

The group’s environmental impact manager, Anne-Sophie Duret, said: “From an insurance perspective, wider adoption of reuse will depend on clear professional recommendations, stronger evidence on performance and more consistent standards across the market.

“Practical guidance like this from Arup can help developers, designers and insurers make better-informed decisions about the reuse of materials and existing structures, particularly on complex projects where confidence and clarity are essential.”