Actfit Arena: 92% Reuse in a Game-Changing Sports Facility| DS2 Architecture

Located in Bengaluru, Actfit Arena by Ar. Mueen Haris, founder of DS2 Architecture, is a compelling case study in architectural resourcefulness.

As a sports facility that uses design to defy waste and elevate sustainability, it redefines the rules of construction. Built using 92% recycled, repurposed, or reused materials—most from DS2’s earlier projects—the design pushes the boundaries of circular thinking while maximising spatial and material efficiency.

The core idea is simple yet profound: eliminate both material and real estate waste through meticulous spatial articulation. Every gallery, quadrant, and circulation zone is consciously integrated to avoid dead spaces, ensuring 100% site utilisation. Function, movement, and flow come together in a well-balanced spatial matrix that remains open and interconnected.

The badminton courts and seating galleries are structurally anchored with MS purlins and rafters salvaged from a previous roofing system. Skylights, translucent fibreboards, and transparent tiling around Turbo Vents ensure daylight permeates the space without compromising energy use or contextual sensitivity. In the absence of elaborate finishes, texture is introduced through layered materiality—stretched fabric ceilings, leftover textured paints, and chiselled brick from demolished workers’ quarters.

Rebars from a dismantled slab are repurposed for structural use, while wooden lintels and wall panelling find new life in support elements and partitions. Even packaging plays a part—wooden cargo crates are shredded and compacted into functional partition boards.

One of the project’s most striking features lies in its restraint. Rather than layering new over old, it reimagines the old into something purpose-fit. The spatial design complements this ethos—there is no visual excess, only clarity and reuse made tangible.

Actfit Arena does not just build a sports facility—it builds an argument for intelligent, resource-aware architecture. In doing so, it exemplifies how design foresight can convert architectural leftovers into lasting, performative spaces.

Fact File:
Typology: Commercial Interior Design
Design Firm: DS2 Architecture 
Principal Architect/ Designer: Mueen Haris
Design Team: Ar. Mueen Haris, Ar. Raghuvanshi AB
Area of Project: 25000 sq. ft.
Location: Bengaluru
Photography credits: Ar. Shaaz Alhasan, Ar. Rayaan Raheel