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ARCHITECTURAL SALVAGE
Histories of Commerce and Guardianship 

The Department of Architecture and Urban Planning at Ghent University and the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Liège will host a conference titled Architectural Salvage: Histories of Commerce and Guardianship, to be held in Ghent (Belgium) from 15 to 18 September 2027. The event forms part of the thematic conference series of the European Architectural History Network (EAHN).

The salvage and reuse of building materials are fundamental to the development of a more circular construction industry. Yet the ways in which economic and institutional actors shape these practices remain only partially understood. Architectural history, from the recent past to the longue durée, offers a rich reservoir of examples that mobilize a wide variety of business and governance models.

To frame this inquiry, the conference turns to Jane Jacobs’ Systems of Survival (1992), which distinguishes between two moral “syndromes” governing human activity: a commercial syndrome rooted in trade and competition, and a guardian syndrome grounded in stewardship and tradition. Jacobs argued that the dynamics of commerce and guardianship are fundamental to the functioning of a moral society. This lens extends naturally to the built environment: processes of building and urbanization have always been shaped by these same forces, and architectural salvage is no exception.

Across history, salvage and reuse have relied on a wide array of actors (such as salvage traders, demolition contractors, policymakers, heritage institutions, and others) each positioned within the dynamic commerce–guardianship force field. By examining their roles, relationships, and evolving strategies, the conference seeks to move beyond linear narratives of production and consumption toward a more critical understanding of the mechanisms shaping the afterlives of architecture.

Welcoming contributions from Antiquity to the present and across global contexts, the conference encourages both empirical case studies and theoretical reflections. By fostering dialogue across disciplines, it aims to deepen understanding of the moral, cultural, institutional, and economic complexities of architectural reuse in an era of ecological urgency.

Image: Dismantling of the former Brussels Palace of Justice in 1890. Building components are carefully salvaged for the purpose of reuse. (Source: Coll. Fondation CIVA Stichting/Sla, Brussels)