Learning from Covre: Mid-century Steel Construction and New Paths for Structural Reuse

This paper re-examines the work of Gino Covre through the lens of contemporary structural reuse and circular construction. Combining archival-based historical analysis with an applied, design-oriented hypothesis, the study identifies recurring constructive principles in Covre’s metalwork and translates those principles into a conceptual proposal for a reconfigurable steel grid intended to host salvaged members from selective demolition. Emphasis is placed on historically grounded documentation (project records, fabrication marks, and typical member geometries) as a necessary precondition for safe, economical reuse. The proposed grid relies on a limited family of node-adaptors and bolted interfaces that accommodate variability in recovered sections while preserving structural clarity and reversibility. By situating Covre’s practice as a technical resource rather than only a historical subject, the paper builds a pragmatic bridge between heritage knowledge and present sustainability targets: mapping archives and material typologies informs design rules; these rules enable pilot prototyping, FEM assessment, and a preliminary life-cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify embodied-carbon savings. The contribution is aimed at historians, conservation practitioners, and structural engineers interested in operational, low-tech pathways to steel reuse, showing how mid-century industrial vocabularies can be reactivated to serve circular building strategies today.