Sensory Reconstruction Design Using Local Materials in Urban Renewal: A Case Study of the Reuse of Waste Bricks and Rubble in the Deji Alley Urban Renewal Project in Ningbo
Demolition and relocation of Chinese cities produce considerable construction waste, and old bricks and tiles, as well as the community’s memories attached to them, are often discarded, resulting in a loss of place identity. This paper explores the sensory resources in local waste materials and proposes the concept of sensory and material reconstruction based on tactile, auditory and visual experiences. Based on the above research, this paper studies the renewal project of the Deji Alley Historic and Cultural District in Ningbo. Post-completion surveys, sensory attribute tests and user interviews were carried out at some material-reuse sites. The four material-reconstruction strategies in this paper are stacking, collage, vertical masonry and cage-filling. Findings reveal that the original traces retained on reclaimed materials serve as distinctive sensory resources that evoke residents’ place-based memories. Moreover, the four strategies require no specialized equipment and are readily applicable to micro-renewal projects in older communities. This study offers a low-cost, low-carbon, and human-centered approach to material reuse in urban renewal.
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