Unraveling the architectural design process: A comprehensive study of challenges in designing with reused components

With increasing environmental problems such as resource scarcity, high CO₂ emissions, growing construction waste and biodiversity loss, the design strategy with reused components offers a much-needed sustainable solution. However, a radical shift in the construction industry is necessary toward designing with reused components, requiring a reorientation of practices, priorities, and approaches. Integrating reused components challenges conventional architectural design processes, requiring flexible, adaptive workflows. This study explores the challenges architects face when working with reused components and reveals which of these are considered most critical. Through a literature review, semistructured interviews, and comparative analysis, the research identifies nine multifaceted challenges and links theoretical insights to practical experiences. Additionally, the timing of material acquisition proves to be crucial for adapting workflows and ensuring project efficiency. These findings indicate that future research should focus on developing timing-specific process maps to better manage these challenges.