Circular Economy in Architecture

The construction sector in the EU generates over 35 percent of all waste. In Germany alone, around 200 million tons of mineral construction waste are produced annually through construction, renovation, refurbishment, or demolition (source: Umweltbundesamt). At the same time, raw materials are becoming increasingly scarce. The built environment is a key factor influencing the climate of the future. This requires action, and it must be taken in the interest of climate protection.

A circular construction and real estate industry in line with the principles of the Circular Economy keeps materials in circulation instead of generating waste or consuming new resources. Materials are used in ways that ensure long service life and the potential for future reuse or recycling. This applies both to utilizing existing building stock in renovations and to reusing materials in new construction.

In a circular economy, material loops are closed, and resource waste is avoided. For architecture, circularity is of critical importance. The construction industry has a high demand for raw materials, yet planetary resources are finite and becoming scarcer. It is therefore necessary to develop a new mindset regarding resource use. Increasing resource efficiency is a crucial step toward climate-friendly and resource-conscious practices. The goal should be to no longer treat materials as waste but to establish the Circular Economy as a standard in construction and real estate.

An entire section of coalition agreement is dedicated to circular economy principles. “We also aim to achieve a circular economy in the building sector,” the new government has committed. How can the construction industry successfully transition to an ecological circular economy?

Buildings should be understood as material repositories, containing valuable raw materials that can be extracted and reused through urban mining. The new federal government has announced the introduction of a digital building resource passport to facilitate the transition to a circular economy. Through platforms like Madaster materials, products, and elements used in construction can be registered and documented. This allows for the creation of building material passports, which record materials’ properties and assess their potential for reuse or recycling.

Various services, such as concular nable the reintegration of materials. On the circular construction materials marketplace restado materials can be viewed and selected for reuse.

Current Challenges in Circular Construction
A key requirement for material reuse is the provision of guarantees, warranties, and liability for recycled products. These legal aspects are not yet fully resolved. Adjustments to legislation are therefore a crucial step toward sustainable, circular construction.

In addition to modifying construction processes, innovative building products and systems need to be developed that can be fully integrated into technical and biological cycles. In new construction, deconstruction should be given more attention to enable the return of materials to the ecosystem (see dena Sudie Gebäudereport 2022). Circular construction also entails that companies take greater responsibility for their products and make take-back systems possible.

Economic incentives can further promote circular construction. Buildings designed according to Cradle to Cradle® principles must recognize the value of existing materials and create more attractive value chains. This could include tax advantages where higher resource efficiency is achieved in construction and real estate. Support mechanisms, similar to CO2 certificates in the concrete and cement industry, can provide additional incentives for investors. ESG principles are becoming increasingly important in the real estate sector, which will inevitably drive institutions to focus more on sustainable building practices.

Materials are also becoming more expensive and scarce (e.g., sand), making the use of secondary materials unavoidable in the near future.

Today’s buildings should therefore be designed to be flexible and easily deconstructable into pure material streams, allowing for reintegration into the ecosystem. One growing trend in new construction is timber construction. Timber can make a significant contribution to ESG-compliant building and, as a climate-neutral material, can be reintroduced into the value chain in a circular manner.

As ambassadors for Koalition für Holzbau we advocate for overcoming legislative barriers and convincing the real estate industry to embrace timber and widely adopt modular timber construction. A team of scientists, fire safety experts, planners, architects, and project developers develops flagship timber construction projects and raw material security strategies within the coalition.

The Heuer Dialogs event in Hamburg, under the theme „Future Real Estate Cradle to Cradle. Wie kommen wir im Gebäudebereich zur echten Kreislaufwirtschaft?“ will thoroughly address questions regarding the implementation of the circular economy in the real estate industry. This event provides an opportunity to consolidate knowledge and generate new insights and ideas for circular economy practices in planning and construction—bridging the gap between vision and innovative action.

Panel Discussion
Thursday, May 12, 2022, 2:45 p.m.
PANEL: How Does Circular Economy Work Today and in Five Years?

• How will planning and construction processes change?
• What partners do real estate companies need?
• Are subsidies or support programs necessary?
• Can CO2 savings from reintegrating building materials into the circular economy be measured?

Speakers:
Marc Böhnke, Managing Director, greeen! architects GmbH
Edwin Meijerink, CEO, Delta Projektentwicklung & Management GmbH
Dr. Christina Raab, President & CEO, Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute
Annabelle von Reutern, Head of Business Development, Concular UG
Andreas Rieger, Managing Director, Art-Invest Real Estate Management GmbH & Co. KG

Moderator:
Elisabeth Broermann, Architect, Coordinator for Public Relations and Politics, Architects for Future Germany e.V.