The Architecture of Succession: Designing Bio-Receptive Frameworks for Managed Decay and Habitat Growth
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The contemporary construction industry remains structurally dependent on a permanence paradigm that externalizes demolition waste and terminates ecological continuity at end-of-life. This research proposes an integrative architectural framework that repositions structural decay as a programmed ecological function rather than a material failure. Drawing from recent peer-reviewed advances in bioreceptive concrete technologies, mass timber circularity, and Design for Disassembly, the study develops a Decomposition Protocol for guiding the transformation of architectural mass into high-value forest habitat over a 100-year temporal arc. Verified research on bioreceptive façade systems demonstrates that pH modulation and porosity engineering significantly increase cryptogamic colonization on cementitious substrates. Parallel investigations into timber end-of-life scenarios confirm that structured disassembly pathways reduce embodied carbon loss and extend material utility within circular construction systems. Synthesizing these findings, this study proposes the architectural structure as engineered necromass, capable of supporting successional biodiversity while maintaining structural integrity during transitional decay phases. The research establishes technical detailing strategies for reversible joints, layered envelope systems, and phased decommissioning, situating architectural practice within regenerative urban ecology. The outcome reframes architectural value as multispecies utility and soil generation rather than static durability.
Institutions: Caleb University, Ambrose Alli University
Language: English
Subfield: Building and Construction
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7154447050
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