Reuse and reversibility as circular approach strategies to building design

The reuse of existing buildings, in the context of the current climate crisis, can play a crucial role in reducing the environmental impact of buildings, using a circular approach in the construction sector. Repurposing existing structures to prevent underuse or, in extreme cases, abandonment offers multiple benefits, including reducing the need for new constructions, minimizing construction and demolition waste, and lowering the embodied carbon of the built environment. In the field of circularity strategies in construction, there is significant field for research and development to explore new design approaches that integrate circularity and sustainability considerations—not only in material and technical solutions but also in the overall design concept. This paper presents a design proposal for the reuse of the Youth Summer Retreat in Ohrid (North Macedonia) through the methodology, principles and strategies of Reversible Building Design (RBD). This approach provides an innovative circular perspective to architectural design, applicable not only to new constructions but, more importantly, to the adaptive reuse of existing buildings.