This book advances the thesis that architecture must be reframed as an active climatic instrument rather than a passive consumer of environmental resources. It integrates analytical and organic recycling strategies into a coherent design methodology operating simultaneously at material, spatial, and socio-economic scales. This book distinguishes between two complementary recycling paradigms: analytical recycling, grounded in quantifiable performance metrics (such as embodied carbon and lifecycle assessment), and organic recycling, rooted in adaptive reuse, local material ecologies, and tacit construction knowledge. Together, these approaches redefine recycling as a design logic that supports both climate mitigation (through emission reduction and circular material flows) and climate adaptation (through flexibility, reparability, and contextual responsiveness). A central argument is the ongoing shift from centralized, top-down planning frameworks toward distributed, community-driven processes. This inversion reflects a systemic transition in which local actors become co-producers of the built environment. Within this context, upcycling is repositioned as a strategic mechanism for capacity building—enhancing local competencies, strengthening material literacy, and enabling decentralized construction practices. This book introduces the concept of architecture as a form of resilience infrastructure, where buildings operate as dynamic interfaces between environmental pressures and social agency. By embedding circular material systems within participatory design processes, architecture can increase both resistance (the ability to withstand disturbances) and resilience (the capacity to adapt and transform over time). Empirical components include case-based evaluations, multi-criteria assessment models, and scenario-driven design frameworks. These demonstrate that integrating local resource streams with community knowledge systems leads to measurable improvements in environmental performance and long-term usability. This book ultimately proposes a paradigm shift: from efficiency-oriented sustainability toward regenerative, community-embedded architectural systems. In this framework, architecture becomes not only a response to climate change, but a tool for actively shaping climatic outcomes, aligning environmental performance with social empowerment and spatial innovation.

Bartosz Felski is a professor at SANS (Sopot Academy of Applied Sciences), Ph.D. eng. architect, carbon footprint auditor, and TEDx speaker. His research focuses on circular, bioclimatic, and climate adaptive design, with particular emphasis on the relationship between architecture and climate change. He advocates for positioning architecture as an active tool for climate change mitigation. He is affiliated with numerous organizations—both professional and scientific, including those with global reach—dedicated to sustainable and ecological architecture, including the Polish Green Building Council (PLGBC). He serves as an expert for the European Commission through the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) and is an evaluator within Horizon Europe programs. He is also a member of the Climate Leadership expert group powered by UNEP/GRID. Since 2025, he has been among 950 global ambassadors of Climate Interactive, an organization focused on climate scenario modeling.