C MIL Building Renovation | CASTOR FIBER architecture studio | Media - Sustainability

Custom Certificates

EPB

A

2025

Efficient

Low-Embodied Carbon Strategy: Deep adaptive reuse. Preserving the massive existing concrete structural frame, pillars, and vaults eliminated the upfront carbon costs of new cement production and prevented heavy demolition and transport waste.

Low Carbon

Thermal Envelope: High-performance insulated outer plaster applied directly to the exterior concrete shell. This anchors the building's massive internal thermal mass within the insulation blanket.
HVAC & Heating System: Air-to-water heat pump coupled with a low-temperature radiant floor heating system. The heat pump benefits from an optimal Coefficient of Performance (COP) by supplying water at low temperatures (35∘C–40∘C).
Passive Energy Storage: The heavy concrete pillars and vaults function as a thermal battery, storing heat energy from the floor system and stabilizing indoor temperatures to drastically lower operational heating demands.

Low Carbon

Exterior-Routed Utilities: Running cables and infrastructure on the outside means they can be serviced, repaired, or upgraded without breaking open walls. This eliminates maintenance-related demolition and material waste.
Exposed, Raw Interior: Leaving the original concrete and masonry exposed—treated only with a traditional cement-based paint—means there is no drywall or plasterwork to maintain. The interior requires virtually no long-term repainting or chemical upkeep.
Shou Sugi Ban Detailing: The charred wood detailing naturally protects the facade against rot, weathering, and insects. It requires zero toxic stains or frequent reapplications, drastically lowering lifecycle maintenance emissions.
Durable Single-Level Flooring: The seamless, threshold-free floor is highly durable and easy to clean without aggressive chemicals. Its long lifespan avoids the emissions tied to frequent floor replacements.

Adaptive Reuse and Flexible Design Considerations

Yes, adaptive reuse and future flexibility were core to our approach.

Structural Freedom: Since all interior walls were non-load-bearing, we stripped the interior completely. The building relies entirely on its original concrete pillars and outer shell, meaning the floor plan can easily be reconfigured in the future without any structural interventions.
Flexible Hybrid Layout: The 300 m2 single-level layout currently functions as a home and office. With zero level differences and spaces divided only by hidden sliding doors, the circular floor plan can effortlessly adapt to other programs, such as a full commercial workspace, a gallery, or a medical practice.
Preserving the Shell: By running the utilities on the exterior, we left the original masonry and concrete undamaged, ensuring the building remains a pristine, flexible canvas for its next afterlife.

Disassemblable Elements for Circular Economy

Several key building elements were designed with deconstruction and the circular economy in mind:

Non-Invasive Utilities: Instead of chasing electric cables into the walls, the utilities run entirely along the exterior facades and are only drilled inwards where absolutely necessary. This keeps the original brickwork and concrete pillars undamaged and allows the cabling and infrastructure to be easily removed, upgraded, or recycled without destroying the building fabric.
Independent Glass Facade & Partitioning: The large glass walls facing the patio and the internal hidden sliding doors were installed as independent, dry-joined elements. They can be dismantled cleanly without impacting the primary concrete structure.
Preserved Raw Shell: By leaving the interior concrete pillars, vaults, and masonry exposed (finished only with a breathable, traditional cement-based paint), we avoided layers of glued plasterboard or complex composite materials. This ensures the raw building materials remain pure, uncovered, and ready for high-grade recycling or future reuse.