RECLAIMED WOOD AS A COMPUTATIONAL MATERIAL: TECHNOLOGICAL DESIGN FOR CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN THE DIGITAL AGE

In the wake of the twin – and intertwined – ecological and digital transition, the paper aims at offering a theoretical insight that links Circular Economy (CE) and the new creative possibilities offered by digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Architecture and Technological Design. The study discusses how the main challenges hindering the reuse and upcycling of reclaimed resources – uncertainty, non-standardization, unpredictability– are questioning the established methods and tools of the design practice and research, and could rather be addressed by the complex, non-linear and “a- scientific” methods of Computational Design, Robotic Fabrication and AI, that are – in turn – profoundly modifying designers’ relationship with Technology. This conceptual outline is informed by a case study analysis of international critical research practices and is developed in the form of a comprehensive digital workflow considering reuse and upcycling strategies. In particular, the study is dedicated to wood waste, being timber one the most widespread material in construction, furniture, packaging etc. and, despite its fame of “sustainable resource”, is craving for more rational and effective ways to be recovered. Finally, the paper describes the application of this theoretical framework introducing the FoRWARD – Furniture Waste for Circular Design research project (MICS – NextGenEU, PE11, Spoke 4), coordinated by the Department of Architecture, University of Naples “Federico II”, specifically addressed to test this Technological Design approach to the Made in Italy furniture industry.