Circular Building Production in the South Mediterranean Area: The Experience of CUBÂTI Project

Abstract

CUBÂTI (Culture du bâti de qualité: Recherche, Innovation et Entreprise pour la Durabilité) was a strategic project for research and innovation in the field of sustainable construction, co-financed by the European Union as part of the 2014-2020 ENI Cross-Border Cooperation Program between Italy and Tunisia. For the first time in this Program, CUBÂTI has turned the spotlight on the building sector: an activity of considerable importance for the cross-border economy, for sustainability and for the quality of life. CUBÂTI, submitted in 2019 and completed in 2023, pursued the objective of strengthening the links between Sicilian and Tunisian researchers, professionals and entrepreneurs, activating a virtuous circle between different productive activities [construction, agriculture, aquaculture, enhancement of architectural heritage] by leveraging the common cross-border identity. The methodologies adopted in the different project activities were inspired by the concept of high quality baukultur [culture of construction], shared by the European Ministers of Culture signing the Davos Declaration in 2018. This concept, whose cultural presuppositions are rooted in Central Europe, has important potential for development in the Mediterranean area. In fact, it lays the foundations for the application of a holistic approach to the processes of production, maintenance and transformation of the built environment, understood as an indivisible whole of all constructions, existing or planned, with historical or contemporary value, inserted in the natural environment. CUBÂTI has implemented three kinds of strategic actions to achieve its objectives, focused on the transfer of knowledge and technologies between companies, researchers and professionals to stimulate innovation in the field of sustainable construction, encouraging the exchange of good practices in light of the holistic vision of the baukultur: Technology transfer; Capitalization; Mobility and development of common knowledge. With the ambition to take into account culture, technology, production models and economic paradigms in a unified way, CUBÂTI has tried to contribute to the sustainable construction on the basis of two strong elements of the common identity between Sicily and Tunisia: the availability of local materials in the cross-border area, consistent with contemporary production realities: 1] geo-materials with limited impact (gypsum and clay); bio-based materials (agro-food and fish farming waste); demolition waste (concerning the plague of unfinished buildings); 2) a very rich architectural heritage (Sicily and Tunisia have respectively eight and nine sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List), which offers countless opportunities for ante litteram sustainability (in addition to the skilful use of local materials, such as passive heating and cooling solutions). The experience of the CUBATI Project can contribute to the dissemination of circular production in the Southern Mediterranean area as it does not only rely on technical aspects, but also on human aspects. This helps to overcome the Circularity Gap, learning to coexist with the limits of natural resources.