Self-building and Sustainable Construction: Theories, Models and Innovations

The construction sector is responsible for a high environmental impact, prompting a review of building models and processes in a green key, in view of the 2030 Agenda goals and the ecological transition. In addition, the growing housing crisis is becoming an increasingly widespread issue, affecting not only developing countries but also more industrialised ones. The main reason for this crisis is the rise in house prices, combined with a decrease in employment levels and a consequent increase in social disadvantage. In response to these phenom-ena, self-building can be seen as a possible alternative to traditional building processes, offering considerable advantages: reduced construction costs and time, buildings “tailor-made” to the real needs of users, use of ecological and local materials, increased sense of community and belonging. With these premises, the work presents an initial investigation of the self-building topic which, drawing its origins from the key principles of vernacular architecture, is investigated through some significant modern and contemporary theories and experiences. Next, the main self-built models experimented in recent years are analysed, with a focus on innovative materials most suitable for self-building processes. Finally, the current and most recent definition of “self-building” is given, which is based on the active participation of the future inhabitants in all phases of the building’s construction (from design to execution), supported and assisted by experts in the field. The conclusions summarise the findings, highlighting the main potentials and critical issues of the investigated approach.