Low-Resource Materials: Rethinking Resource Sustainability in the Construction Sector

In the European context of the ecological transition, the construction sector urgently requires a shift from resource depletion to preservation. This study addresses the heterogeneity of the definition of natural, artificial, renewable, and non-renewable resources in the literature, establishing a coherent framework. Based on the analysis of these definitions, the study delineates the concept of Low-Resource Materials (LRMs) as a dynamic repertoire characterised by renewable, restorable, reused, and recycled components aimed at safeguarding material assets. Three core criteria and two indirect criteria for identifying Low-Resource Materials have been specified: these are designed to minimise virgin raw material consumption and reduce ecosystem pressure. The Low-Resource Materials conceptual framework supports designers in selecting materials and construction systems for the development of sustainable architectures with high material efficiency. Future research should refine this repertoire by evaluating various technical and regulatory thresholds, for the defined LRMs, and assess the acceptable limits of composite elements, to guarantee sustainable options at their end-of-life.