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Circular Economy in Urban Design

Circular economy usually seen in architecture through the use of material recycling and reuse, material passports, design for disassembly, however the framework is seen fully at neighborhood and city scale. Self sufficiencies and policies set by governments, guide principals of circular economy through urban scale projects. From energy production, waste management, food production, process and operations that govern these design methods inform circularity.

Cities are resource consumers and producers of greenhouse gas emissions, specifically seen in the linear model of manufacture , use and end of life. Resource scarcity is upon us with a demand for raw materials to double over the next 20-30 years.

Creating self sufficient cities with their own ecosystem is one way to apply circular economic principals. The image shown identifies a broad circular system of a city.

Climate change is already a large issue in architecture and urban design, with cities, buildings and people, playing their part to reduce the effects they have on the environment.

ReSOLVE framework is a key output of the Ellen MacArthur Foundations research. It outlines 6 actions to guide the transition towards a circular economy. This can be applied to products, buildings, neighborhoods, cities, regions and communities. The work of the Ellen Macarthur foundation is referenced in all readings about circular economy and architecture.

• Regenerate • Share • Optimise • Loop • Virtualise • Exchange

Case Study: Schoonschip Prague, Netherlands

Schoonschip is a community driven project featuring decentralized and sustainable energy, water and waste systems. Co-Designed by space and matter a sustainable floating city on the waters in Amsterdam came alive.

“Living on the water offers a great solution for places where climate change and a rise in sea levels are a looming hazard. It not only protects people against nature, but it also protects nature itself.” (Sascha Glasl, Co-founder Space&Matter)

The project has been going for over a decade starting its life in 2010, with a creative and inspiring group of people whom all wanted their dream home. Completed in 2021, Schoonschip is home to more than 100 residents, 30 water plots, with 46 houses all uniquely designed by their owners.

The small scale prototype city explores and applies innovative solutions to challenges of climate change. Living an Eco-friendly and efficient lifestyle, sharing belongings such as cars, bikes and energy creates a small circular community model.

(Schoonschip — Space&Matter 2021)

Circular Business Models for the Built Environment

Intro

CBM = Circular Business Models “Perceived as cost effective and convenient to dispose of resources after first use rather than to reuse them” “New technology and advanced design approaches, additional value could be created” Benefits in financial, social and environmental aspects globally By 2050 66% of the global pop to live in urban areas. Was 54% in 2014.

Opportunity for construction Industries

Highly recyclable waste materials. UK saw more than 90% of construction and demo waste diverted from landfill in 2014. Adopting a CBM will shift focus to sourcing sustainable, maintain material productivity, and reduction in losses of non renewable materials. Landfill taxes= reduction in waste going to landfill 3 categories for value adding: Design, Information, Collaboration.

Implications for construction ecosystem

Global economy spending 30% more on natural resources than it can actually afford. Buildings not used to their full capacity. Eg office buildings used to 65% cap. High loss of material value in demolition as components are not made to be disassembled, therefore go to landfill as materials are hard to segregate to be reused or recycled. Buildings are not adaptable for different uses Need to view projects long term to see potential for circular economy benefits. Material databases to store information required to facilitate reuse. Already used in automotive and aerospace. BIM, Building Information Modeling, combines processes and tech to improve performance. Already seen a reduction in waste in the construction process. Product passports, create traceability about materials and components. 3D printing on site with new materials for a reduction in waste.

A new value chain

Traditional business models do not favor collaboration through value chain. All stakeholders need to contribute towards a outcome that achieves the best value for all parties, therefore minimizing losses from the system Increase adaptivity of space to reduce time a site is vacant. Doing this will benefit users and managers for a more efficient, productive and adaptive space. Life cycle assessments Modular approach to design for future longevity, flexibility, reuse and deconstruction Lack of transparency in supply chain

Conclusion

Points of consideration: Long term thinking, design for deconstruction, innovative, flexibility vs durability, utilize new models of production and consumption, collaborate.

Circular business models

Innovation and collaboration through supply chain Creation of services that capture valuable products/ resources Circular approach where products are recycled, upcycled and reused. CBM: Circular design, circular use, circular recovery. All need to be implemented to see a CBM value chain Solutions to improve how assets are maintained, repaired, upgraded, refurbished or re-manufactured. Circular Design

Designed to last longer and easy to maintain, repair, etc.

Risk with reused or recycled products Circular Use

Keep control of asset and retain its value.

Trace and market secondary raw materials

Customers pay more for higher quality.

High interest/ loan rates due to long term cash flows. Circular Recovery

Revenue generated by transforming existing products into new ones and adding value, reducing costs and waste.

Rely on material reuse and recycling being more cost effective than extracting new material.

First Steps Towards A Circular Built Environment

Introduction

• Construction plays a crucial role in global economy representing 13% of GDP and employing 7% of worlds working age population. • ⅔ of population will live in urban areas in next 30 years • Urban environment size set to double, pressure on systems such as water, energy, waste networks. • Take- make- dispose model • Built environment is worlds largest consumer of raw materials and resources, and major producer of waste and carbon emissions • Construction and demolition accounts for 2530% of all waste in EU. • Cement and steel production account for 10% global CO2 emissions • 3 principals: designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, regenerating natural systems • New technology, business models, partnerships could lower industry costs, reduce negative environmental impacts and make urban areas more livable, productive and convenient. • New approaches and thinking to how we design, operate and maintain built environment.

Extension of holistic approach

PHASE 1 METHODOLOGY

• 1. Develop a Vision, 2. Learn from existing case studies, 3. Stakeholder engagement, 4.

Combined Analysis • Economic, environmental and social impact • Stakeholder groups: policy makers, investors, construction, clients, designers, contractors, supplier, end of life contractors, built environment users. PHASE 2 NEXT STEPS

• Relationships to follow each stage of projects. • Valuation to calculate value of built environment, not just finance option. • Key influences to shift thinking.

Vision

• Regenerative, accessible and abundant by design • Support human wellbeing and natural systems (improved outcomes, living standards) • Guided by systems thinking (guided by feedback, interactions) • Leveraged bt digital technology (facilitate asset sharing, innovate practices) • Holistic urban planning (resilience and thriving design, nature becomes part of urban design areas) • Continuous material cycles (reuse of materials, low new material consumption) • Design for maintenance and deconstruction (enable maintenance, repair and reuse, modular methods) • Flexible productive buildings (meet own needs for energy and water, flexible or modular spaces) • Integrated infrastructure systems (integrated networks for waste, energy and water, smart management at peak times)

Key Insights

• Put principals into practice. Collaboration, knowledge, policy, leadership, finance • Fragmented nature of industry means approaches not used • Finance seen as barrier to start and employ circular methods • First Movers in Detail • Policy Makers- lake of awareness of circular economy concepts. See changes in policy and restrictions. 70% identified that policy changes that support transition was the most important first step. • Investors- investors find twice as many barriers then opportunities. Work to be done to demonstrate benefits of a circular economy. 40% of investors noted the construction industry as a barrier. 30% noted collaboration as a critical role. • Construction clients- 25% would consider adopting a new circular approach. 50% stated the legal and procedural complication were a barrier of taking a new approach.

Features/ Case Study

• Design build and operate maintain contracts • Public private partnerships • Circular gemeente Amsterdam • The toolkit for policymakers forth replacement bridge • Environmental, social and governance investment • Believe in better building • Communicating the business case • Circularity city • Alliander HQ

Building A Circular Future 3XN & GXN

• Prerequisites for reuse • Material passport, circular economy, design for disassembly • Short term gains • Improved flexibility, faster construction, optimized maintenance • Eliminate the concept of waste • Building becomes a material graveyard • Almost all building waste is being down-cycled to the lowest value possible • Resource scarcity • Complexity to design for disassembly • Use of BIM & VDC (Virtual design construction) • Buildings will function as material banks • “Design for disassembly… allows the different components to fit into a closed material cycle, where they can be reused, reassembled and recycled to new products of a similar or higher value” (page 41) • Connections must be reversible • Disassembly only looked at in small scale such as houses, pavilions and temporary structures where resources are scarce. • Positive effects on disassembly • Quicker and simpler construction, optimized operation and maintenance, less waste, optimized up-cycling and recycling and reuse, released pressure on resource scarcity,

Buildings as material; banks • Material passports provide security for next life • Provides all relevant information about a product or component that is intended for reuse. Must represent current state of material. • Materials need to be certified, healthy and pure.

Save time documenting • Building industry responsible for 40% of materials produced globally and responsible for 35% waste. • Focus on recycling rather than down-cycling

ZERO WASTE DESIGN GUIDELINES

• Waste is a design flaw! • Trash 99% of materials extracted from the earth within 6 months. • New York set goal of 0 waste to landfill by 2030. • Need to better manage material flows, building design, resources. • Required integrated approach with architects, planners, building operators. • Todays architects strive to reduce embodied and ongoing energy and water usage in design. Need to start to design for minimal waste • Design needs to change human behavior • Reduce, share, reuse, recycle • Neighborhood recycling plants • Incentives such as money for recycle collection points of certain materials Collection and Urban design: Plan for waste collection on our streets

Strategies • Material Flows • Resilient Systems • Collaboration (public and Private Networks) Neighborhood Scale • Door to door collection services moving waste to a central location • Centralized facilities • Network of infrastructure • Responsible actions and maintenance Pneumatic tube network to central terminal • Minimize trucks • Available 24/7 • Chutes in buildings, courtyards or streets • Multiple chute uses (recycle, organic, landfill)