Circularity by Design: Opportunities for Systemic Change in the Built Environment

The construction sector is amongst the world’s largest consumers of resources and raw materials, and a major producer of waste accounting for more than 30% of the total solid waste globally. In the current scenario of climate emergency and rapid population growth, the transition to more sustainable models of development becomes imperative for the preservation of our ecosystem and the well-being of future generations.

Circular Economy represents an opportunity to rethink construction, moving away from linear models of production and consumption (take-make-dispose) towards the adoption of circular approaches where materials and resources are preserved through reuse, repair, remanufacture and recycling loops.

Despite the surge in research interest of recent years, as well as the industry’s incremental shifts towards more responsible consumption and production practices, the path to circular transition is still substantially untracked, new knowledge is often scattered and isolated, and virtuous initiatives focus on rather narrow enquiries failing to capture the whole complexity of the business.

This Research Topic aims to advance knowledge on the adoption of circular design approaches in construction, with particular emphasis on rethinking current building products and systems as circular entities within closed industrial loops for resource efficiency and waste prevention. We specifically welcome applied research projects, experiences, and case studies that integrate systems perspectives and transdisciplinary thinking to explore the new frontiers of future circular buildings.

The topics of interest include, but are not limited to the following:
- New design approaches and solutions towards waste-free buildings
- New fabrication, construction, and deconstruction (DfMA+D) strategies enabling circularity
- Adaptable, upgradable, regenerative, resilient building technologies and systems
- Circular renovation and adaptive reuse to prolong building stock functionality and usability
- Upcycling of building and construction waste materials
- Product-service systems (PSS) and performance-based contracts
- Innovative business models for circular building materials, products and technologies
- Industry 4.0 digital technologies and platforms for circular transition management
- Identification of relevant and replicable KPIs to measure circular building’s performance
- Development and validation of circular assessment tools, methods and frameworks for new and existing buildings
- Circularity-readiness and performance assessment strategies (beyond LCA)
- Applied research, demonstration projects and case-studies