Speaker
Description
The concept of Circular Economy (CE) has gained increasing attention in recent years, also in the context of the built environment. Different CE strategies for new buildings (such as reusing structures, Design for Disassembly/Adaptability, etc.) have been discussed in literature, but a clear definition and framework is lacking. This can limit the possibility of assessing the environmental benefits of such strategies. The aim of this study is to provide a structured overview of CE strategies and their link to the life cycle phases of a building, focusing on new construction.
The methodology involves three steps: 1) reviewing literature on CE strategies for new buildings, 2) analyzing published whole-building LCA case studies implementing such strategies, and 3) matching CE strategies with life cycle phases as prescribed by the LCA norm in construction. The initial literature review revealed a great variety of CE strategies, however with conflicting definitions of what constitutes a specific CE strategy. Through analyzing case studies, the life cycle phases of a building that are addressed by different CE strategies are identified. Matching the overview of CE strategies with life cycle phases facilitates the environmental assessment of the CE strategies on a building level through LCA in the future.
Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of existing CE strategies for new buildings. Practitioners can use the overview to identify the most relevant CE strategies for their building project and gain knowledge on which phases of the building's life cycle they will affect. Future research can use the overview to identify research gaps or as a base, for example to develop a LCA framework for circular building concepts. By taking a life cycle phase perspective, the study highlights the importance of considering the entire life cycle of a building when implementing CE strategies to achieve the most sustainable solution.
| Topics | Circular economy, Green buildings |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Circular Economy Strategies, Life Cycle Assessment, Life Cycle Phases, New Building |
