Title

Author(s)

Patrizio M. Martinelli

Affiliation

Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne

DOI

https://doi.org/10.65686/ENFG1825

Keywords

Elements, Montage, Climate Crisis

PP

633-641

How to Cite

Martinelli, Patrizio M.. “Elements, Montage, Reclaimed Practice and Pedagogy of Adaptive and Creative Reuse.” In Proceedings of the International Conference on Adaptive Reuse. Volume 1, edited by Andrea Crudeli, Francesca Molle, and Emanuele Carrai, 633–641. Firenze: STH Press, 2026.

Abstract

The chapter examines adaptive and creative reuse as both a design practice and a pedagogical framework capable of addressing the epistemological and ecological challenges of contemporary architecture. It argues that discipline must realign theory and education with the realities of climate breakdown through renewed attention to the elements of architecture, the methodology of montage, and the material ethics of reclamation. Drawing upon academic teaching and research and professional work developed in parallel, the chapter articulates a circular methodology in which theory, practice, and teaching operate as interdependent modes of inquiry. Montage, understood as an analytical and compositional strategy inherited from the avant-garde, serves as a critical tool for dissecting and reassembling existing spatial and material conditions. The use of reclaimed materials extends this framework into an ecological and poetic dimension, linking environmental responsibility with architectural invention. Through this integrated approach, the chapter proposes a pedagogy of reuse that situates architectural education within the urgency of the climate crisis while cultivating critical, creative, and ethically engaged designers.

Edited by
Andrea Crudeli
Francesca Molle
Emanuele Carrai

Publisher
STH Press, Firenze

ISBN Paperback – 9791281661141
ISBN Ebook – 9791281661158
DOI – https://doi.org/10.65686/SISY7263

Year
2026

Proceedings of
International Conference on Adaptive Reuse
hosted by The University of Pisa, Italy
15-19 September 2025, at the Gispoteca di Arte Antica dell’Università di Pisa.