Approcci circolari e sostenibili per il riuso dell’ambiente costruito. Il caso di studio di un edificio multiuso a Chimilin. Circular and sustainable strategies for the reuse of the built environment. A case study of a multi-functional building in Chimilin.

The current climate emergency and the urgent need to reduce the use of non-renewable resources position the reuse of the built environment as a strategic action to promote sustainable development. In this context, the repurposing of existing buildings offers an effective solution to limit land consumption, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance local architectural heritage. This paper presents a design methodology focused on sustainable regeneration, based on circular economy principles and applied to the case study of a former school in Chimilin, France. The intervention aims to transform the building into a cultural hub, reconfiguring its interior spaces with dry construction techniques and implementing both passive and active energy-saving strategies, material reuse, and integration of renewable energy sources. The project becomes an opportunity to re-establish urban and social connections, promoting a flexible and collective use of space. Through in-depth historical analysis, the use of local materials and the reinterpretation of the relationship between the building and its context, the intervention proposes a replicable model of architectural reuse capable of combining environmental sustainability, cultural enhancement, and social innovation.