Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
MSc. student Real Estate and Housing, Faculty of Architecture, Delft University of Technology,
Delft, the Netherlands
Design & Construction Management graduation project on the subject of
Circular Economy in the built environment
Abstr act
K ey wo rds
With regard to the global challenges resource efficiency and resource depletion as discussed
in the previous section, the construction sector plays a big role as it is a resource-intensive
sector which produces a lot of waste. According to Schoolderman et al. (2014, p. 54), the
Dutch construction industry takes up around 50% of the national resource consumption and
around 40% of the national waste is related to construction- and demolition. This is where
the circular economy can have a major impact.
Another reason why the circular economy is needed is due to rising popularity. After the
completion of the circular designed municipality of Brummen more initiatives have been
showing up. Both public as private parties have shown to be willing to contribute to a
circular economy.
In addition to facing the described challenges, he circular economy also has the potential to
bring additional economic advantages. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has calculated a
yearly cost-saving of 340 to 380 billion dollars in the European Union (Ellen MacArthur
Foundation, 2013a). TNO, a Dutch research organization, calculated a yearly cost-saving of
7.3 billion euros and 54.000 jobs for the Netherlands (Bastein, Roelofs, Rietfeld, &
Hoogendoorn, 2013). These cost savings and job creation arise from the transition from a
consumption-based economy to a service economy, according to Walter R. Stahel, one of
the founding fathers of the circular economy (Stahel, 2010).
Figure 1: circular system interactive diagram (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2013a, p. 24)
Synthesis of literature-study and results from expert-interviews have resulted into three main
principles for circular building:
1) Using materials that facilitate the circular
economy. Stewart Brand (1994) distinguishes six
different layers within buildings. Each layer and
the components within have their own technical,
functional and economic lifespan. In order to
comprehend to circularity, only materials that are
well suited to be reused using the six loops as
described in chapter two should be selected.
2) Design for circularity. Modular or standardized
Figure 2: Shearing layers (Brand, 1994 p. 13)
components, design for disassembly, design for
pure material-flow and optimization in production processes to reduce waste will
become main topics in designing a building within the circular economy.
3) Safeguarding circularity. Each product should be safeguarded for circularity in order
to fully secure the recovery the used materials in the future. Product-service systems
provide a new relationship between the manufacturer, user and product in order to
sustain the materials within the economy.
Figure 3: Circular economy discovery matrix with four chosen circular solutions (own figure)
The following cases and circular solutions were examined using the three main principles for
circular building:
2. Alliander Offices, Duiven: recycling old work clothing into insulating material by Metisse
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3. Tennet main office, Arnhem: Cradle to Cradle carpet tiles by Shaw contract group
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Principle 1: granulate of the old bricks are recycled into new ones
Principle 2: not designed for dissassembly
Principle 3: not safeguarded for circularity
The case studies show that only one out of four circular solutions (case 3, Cradle to Cradle
carpet tiles by Shaw contract group) meets with the three main principles for circular
building. The results from the interviewees were unanimous; the four case studies indicate
the circular economy is just beginning to develop. Circular solutions that include all three of
the described principles are scarce. The involved parties did their best in achieving
circularity, however circular building needs to be further developed in order to achieve all
three principles. The next section elaborates on how circular building can be specified.
3. Asking the right question
Why ask a different question?
The specification phase is the first phase of a traditional procurement process. Specifying
means describing the clients demand of the procurement in a specification document. The
way in which the clients desired requirements and wishes are specified into the specification
document determines how and if the vendors or contractors can fulfill the clients demand.
The advantages in terms of sustainability are the largest during this phase, which is why it is
most important to take into account the circular economy during this phase.
Within the current transition phase, there is a lack of generic definition and measuring/ rating
systems focusing on circular economy in the built environment. The previous section already
concluded the newfangled nature of the circular economy. Measuring or rating systems
should include the earlier discussed three principles.
In traditional tender specifications, the client or tendering actor constructs a detailed
description of the desired end result. This is a dilemma as the client or tendering actor
doesnt know what to specify in terms of circular economy. Pianoo (2012) distinguishes two
traditional types of specification:
1. Technical specification. A technical specification, also known as program of
requirements, provides a detailed description of the scope of the project.
2. Functional specification. This type of specification gives market parties more
freedom to use their knowledge, experience and inventiveness. The specifications
are described using the required functions that the end-product needs to instill.
A third type of specification that has enjoyed growing popularity can be added :
3. Performance-based specification. This type of specification focuses even more on
the expertise of market parties. Rather than describing a product or function, the
problem for which a solution is needed is described. The last principle discussed in
section 2, safeguarding circularity showed a shift from selling products to the
customers to providing product-service combinations. These product-service
combinations are mainly focused on performances, thus requiring performancebased specifications. An important game changer that addresses this movement is
Best Value Procurement (BVP) in which clients specify the goals of the project rather
than a possible solution. Vendors or contracting parties experience freedom to use
their expertise in search for the best answer to those goals (Van de Rijt & Santema,
2013).
References
Bastein, Ton, Roelofs, Elsbeth, Rietfeld, Elmer, & Hoogendoorn, Alwin. (2013). Opportunities
for a circular economy in the Netherlands. Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands:
Drukkerij Holland.
Brand, Stewart. (1994). How buildings Learn. What Happens After They're Built. New York:
VIKING.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2013a). Towards the circular economy, Economic and business
rationale for an accelerated transition.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2013b). Towards the circular economy, opportunities for the
consumer goods sector.
MacArthur, Ellen. (2013). Foreword. In K. Webster, J. Bleriot & C. Johnson (Eds.), A new
Dynamic: Effective Business in a Circular Economy: Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Publishing.
Pianoo. (2012). Specificeren. Retrieved 14-02-15, from
http://www.pianoo.nl/inkoopproces/fase-1-voorbereiden-inkoopdracht/specificeren technnischfunctioneelspecificeren
Schoolderman, Hans, Van den Dungen, P, Van den Beukel, J., Van Raak, R, Loorbach, D, Van
Eijk, F, & Joustra, D.J. (2014). Ondernemen in de circulaire economie, nieuwe
verdienmodellen voor bedrijven en ondernemers. Amsterdam: Tromp Drukkerij.
Schuurman, Michel, Van Assen, Erik, Padding, Take, & Braam, Guido. (2013). Green deal
circulair inkopen. MVO Nederland, Pianoo, Circle Economy, NEVI.
Sinek, Simon. (2009). Start with why: how great leaders inspire everyone to take action. New
York: Portfolio Penguin.
Stahel, Walter R. (2010). The Performance Economy. London: Palgrave-MacMilan.
Stouthuysen, Peter. (2014). Walter Stahel, grondlegger van de circulaire economie. In S.
Deckmyn, J. Leyssens, P. Stouthuysen & J. Verhulst (Eds.), Product <=> Dienst.
Nieuwe businessmodellen
in de circulaire economie.
Van de Rijt, Jeroen, & Santema, Sicco. (2013). Prestatie inkoop; met best value naar
succesvolle projecten. Pijnacker: Graphicom.