Facades-as-a-Service: A cross-disciplinary model for the (re)development of circular building envelopes

Accelerating strategic investment in an energy- and material resource-efficient built environment<br/><br/>The de-carbonisation of the built environment hinges on the use of clean, renewable energy and the conservation of materials and components within circular reprocessing loops. The Façades-as-a-Service research concept aims to accelerate the...

Simulating industrial symbiosis: Understanding and shaping circular business models for viable and robust industrial symbiosis networks through collaborative modelling and simulation

The European Commission aims for a full circular economy (CE), an economy that aims to reuse all resources in 2050. CE is a promising way to increase welfare and wellbeing while decreasing environmental footprints. Industrial symbiosis, in which companies exchange residuals for resource efficiency, is essential to the circular transition....

Bio-based plastics in durable applications: The future of sustainable product design? A design review

This design review evaluates the use of bio-based plastics in durable consumer products. The main question is: how does the use of bio-based plastics influence the product’s design, functionality, marketing &amp; communication, and sustainability? Although higher material prices would lead one to expect that higher value applications would be...

A Circular Economy Life Cycle Assessment (CE-LCA) model for building components

The transition towards a Circular Economy (CE) in the built environment is vital to reduce resource consumption, emissions and waste generation. To support the development of circular building components, assessment metrics are needed. Previous work identified Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as an important method to analyse the environmental...

Navigating transitions for sustainable infrastructures - The case of a new high-speed railway station in Jingmen, China

Sustainable development and Circular Economy (CE) have drawn massive attention worldwide. Construction practices consume large amounts of materials, resources and energy. Sustainability and CE could play a big role in reduction efforts. However, the potential influence of both concepts on the planning and construction of large infrastructures...