SUMMARY

France-Atlanta is an annual event series co-organized by the Consulate General of France and The Georgia Institute of Technology. Rethinking the building material cycle is an urgent ecological necessity. The work of Bellastock (Paris 2006), Rotor (Brussels 2006) and Rural Studio (Newbern, Alabama 1993) provides a fascinating window into the myriad challenges – logistical, economic, formal, social – to reusing building materials and components. The specific contexts and circumstances of their origins and their continuing evolution offer lessons and inspiration to all of us: students, building industry professionals, activists and concerned citizens.