Publication June 2025.
Deadline to submit: February 2
FACES is lau nching a call for projects from members of the FAS (Federation of Swiss Ar chitects)\, as well as a call for theoretical articles.
What are we to make of buildings that incorporate reused elements? Is it simply a matter of constructive adaptation\, or is it a new approach that calls into question the way in which we might envi sage an architectural project? To address these questions\, FACES will dev ote issue 85 to the theme of reuse.
If our society is to take account of events linked to global warming\, we need to start thin king differently about the act of building. This is the new challenge faci ng all those involved in developing our natural and built environment. One of the new issues facing them is that of reducing carbon impact\, with th e aim of using materials efficiently and over as long a period as possible . One way of achieving this is through reuse\, which is defined as &ldquo\ ;the careful removal of components from a building that has become obsolet e and the extension of their life within another building&rdquo\;.1 These elements are therefore modified or reused &ldquo\;as is&rdquo\;. The sourc e of reused parts comes from a &ldquo\;donor building&rdquo\; that is inse rted into a &ldquo\;recipient building&rdquo\;.
At a t ime when travel depended on human and animal sources of energy\, anything within reach was welcome. When a building was demolished\, it was natural to extract the materials to build another. Disused buildings were used as quarries for materials.
The 20th century\, which saw t he advent of concrete\, was also the century of the tabula rasa. Buildings aimed for absolute efficiency\, and components located on a built site we re systematically sent to landfill. Today\, with the combined effects of t he depletion of natural resources and climate change\, the issue of reuse has re-emerged\, and is even becoming an imperative in some projects.
Reusing parts of buildings in a new environment calls for new implementation practices. A host of questions are being asked about th e role and remit of architects. Some people are campaigning for an exhaust ive list to be drawn up of the elements to be dismantled when a building i s demolished\, so that they can be reused. Central purchasing and sales of fices for materials have been set up. An industry for reusing all types of materials is slowly being set up.
Does reuse engender
a new aesthetic? Does &ldquo\;making do&rdquo\; automatically imply a DIY
aesthetic? Reused objects are not designed or shaped by the designer but
accepted with their formal and accidental characteristics. This strategy o
ffers a fantastic reservoir of possibilities. Given that 2024 marked the 1
00th anniversary of Surrealism\, it would be appropriate here to evoke the
principle of &ldquo\;laziness&rdquo\; that guided Marcel Duchamp in the c
reation of his ready-mades\, i.e. a creative thought that is eminently thr
ifty\, producing something new without having to create it \;ex nihilo. Objects accidentall
y chosen by the artist seem to take on a new semantic depth simply by bein
g moved or reoriented.
< /span>Reuse also raises formal issues such as assembly. We could even say that this procedure is compulsory\, s ince reuse automatically implies materials from a donor building and new m aterials coming together.
FACES is launching a call fo r projects to be published by members of the two FAS sections in French-sp eaking Switzerland for issue 85. The aim is to look at our territory &mdas h\; Romandie &mdash\;\, to understand whether trends and recurrences can b e detected there and then venture into making comparisons with projects ca rried out in other places. \;
Completed projects o r parts of projects must address the above theme. Projects that have not y et been completed may be submitted\, provided that they fully meet the req uirements.
It goes without saying that the authors of projects do not have to be FAS members and that an FAS member may propose a project of his or her own production.
At the same ti me\, the journal is launching an international call for theoretical articl es on the subject of reuse. These theoretical texts\, which will be includ ed in the &ldquo\;thematic dossier&rdquo\; section of the journal\, should be between 20\,000 and 25\,000 characters\, including spaces.
< p>The schedule is as follows:a) Criti cal articles relating to selected projects\, 7\,000 characters long includ ing spaces (see the format for articles in the FACES 81 project booklet) a nd submission of the relevant graphic documents by the architectural offic es.
b) Theoretical articles of between 20\,000 and 25\,000 characters in lengt h including spaces (an editing guide will be sent to authors in February) and illustrations with high-definition images will be sent.