Managing building supply chains is significantly challenging due to its temporary nature, design to order, fragmentation and overall complexity of processes. As the built environment strives to achieve a circular domain, there is an increasing need for solutions that close product and organisational systems together with the material and information flow running through them. These flows currently ‘leak’ and waste materials due to classic linear approaches they have been based on for decades. Furthermore, the context of a circular supply chain is still under research, and it mainly consists of fragmented information over various topics. Therefore, this thesis explores how circular economy principles could be implemented and enhanced within the whole construction supply chain
by investigating also its control environment. This thesis’s scope is the circular supply chains and the information/ material flows needed throughout the process and the respective actors involved in such flows.

The modelling of a supply chain was observed as an appropriate approach to the representation of a circular supply chain environment, as it visualises in a simplified way the complex nature of supply chains. The proposed model provided insights within three levels of analysis: process, organisations and product. The process level identified the additional process phases that are needed in the reverse loops of information and materials. The organisation level elaborated on the traditional stakeholders and new circular specific stakeholders that could be introduced into these processes. Within this level
traditional stakeholders were observed to adapt their operations by introducing some of the circular specific stakeholder activities internally. The third product level, investigated the control environment and the data residing within it, both provided and required data information. Identifying the data, processes and the involved actors facilitated into the design of a Modular Circular Supply Chain Model (MCSCM). In addition, the modular structure of the model enables the adaptability of any of the modules, whether this be adding or modifying modules and functionalities to suit a wide range of circular supply chain situations. The MCSCM is expected to introduce a general image of a circular supply chain environment by making this concept more tangible into nowadays society.

The goal of this project is to design a high-quality circular housing complex. The challenge lies in finding a balance between creating a circular and high-quality result and making it as cost-effective as possible. Circularity in this design will focus on using prefabricated timber modules that are designed for disassembly. It also entails the circular use of other resources such as energy and water. High-quality in this context stands for a space that aesthetically and socially is pleasant and lively for the inhabitants.

Prefabrication of timber has the potential to create high-quality results in a safer work environment, faster and with lower costs. Timber building products can be categorised in the following prefabrication levels: component, panel and module. Modules are at the last level of completion, and they can comprise a room finished up to 95% until it is moved to the site.

This research concentrates on creating wellbeing by performance; behaviour and technical performance of materials and products in office buildings. This research is focused on the case study conducted at; the headquarter of a bank in the Netherlands, whereby the building users are criticizing the indoor comfort. Moreover, the building materials are end-of-life and the building is using a large amount of energy. The following research question is answered: ‘How can the indoor comfort be improved in a circular way, by creating an optimal floorplan including the interior and technical aspects for, the case study, one pilot floor of the headquarter of a bank in the Netherlands, while taking the energy consumption into account?’ Within this study different research methodologies are applied. The first research method is literature study and reference projects to gather knowledge about the indoor comfort with the following possible stressors; indoor air quality, thermal comfort, light and visual quality and acoustic comfort and circularity within the building environment. This information is derived from the Dutch regulations, certification rating systems, the case study and articles with the same theme. The literature study and reference projects are analysed to draw up criteria which the measurements and the design of the floorplan must meet. The second research method is material analyses to identify the materials and products which are used in the interior of the case study and how they can be improved to contribute to the indoor comfort, circularity and energy efficiency. The third research method is analysing the existing survey conducted in 2019 by the company Leesman. Analysing this survey can profile the building users and rate the satisfaction level of their workplace, activities, and facilities. The last research method is analysing the performed measurements. To study the current situation of the case study by testing the indoor comfort stressors on the criteria prepared with literature study and reference projects. These measurements are performed with 24 GreenMe cubes which records the indoor comfort values every ten minutes for three weeks, which resulted in 3024 measurement points within ten categories of the indoor comfort stressors. The research results are translated into a circular and indoor comfort framework and floorplan design including the interior and technical aspects. The analyses results show that it is desired to renovate the headquarter of the bank in the Netherlands. This conclusion is based on the following results of this study, first of all most of the materials and products are not demountable. Therefore it cannot be cleaned well and it pollutes the air. Moreover, it is not fully circular when only the materials are obtained sustainable, but cannot be reused or remanufactured after its first lifecycle, when they are not demountable or additives are added. Secondly, the building users are not satisfied with the indoor comfort within the headquarter of the bank. According to the satisfaction and importance level of the indoor comfort stressors. The indoor air was rated with 28,6% satisfaction and 71% importance, thermal comfort with 19,1% satisfaction and 80,7% importance and acoustic comfort with 13,9% satisfaction and 75,1% importance. These results show a low satisfaction level, while the building users rated these facilities as very important. Furthermore, the measurements results show that the indoor comfort stressors exceed the permitted values during office hours. The carbon dioxide concentration is measured 1,7% above 800 ppm, total volatile organic compounds is measured 0% above 120 ppm. In addition, the temperature under 20°C and above 24°C is measured 10,5% and the relative humidity under 30% and above 70% is measured 14,6%. Moreover, the light level under 500 lux is measured 72,2% and flicker light under 0Hz and above 50Hz is measured 2,6%. Lastly, the average background sound level above 57dB is measured 2% and average installation sound level above 35dB is 0%. These values needs to be improved according the program of requirements of the case study. The analyses emphasize the importance of the renovation of the case study. Measures are recommended to improve these values. The measures have been compiled on the basis of the circular and indoor comfort framework and the developed ‘Circular Indoor Comfort Step Strategy’. This strategy is as follows: 1) Improving the source 2) Improving situation without energy 3) Improving situation with renewable energy 4) Improving processes The measures are categorized in interior aspects, improving the building users activities, and technical aspects, improving the indoor comfort stressors. Every measure contributes to the environment and supports the wellbeing of the building users. One of these measures is a green wall, which is mostly composed from raw materials from biological cycles and contributes to the mental state of the building users. Moreover, it improves the indoor air by filtering the air, thermal comfort by increasing the relative humidity, and the acoustic comfort by absorbing background sound. This product is sold as ‘product as a service’, whereas the producer keeps the responsibility and reuse every part after its first lifecycle to new products with the existing raw materials. This research shows that a big difference can be made by performing small interventions to maintain the current situation and increase the existing value. Moreover, these interventions have a positive influence on the satisfaction level of the building users, meeting the Dutch and the bank’s regulations and rating certificates to renovate and create a healthy circular headquarter.

If the Netherlands wants to achieve its goal of being completely circular by 2050 (Berkel, Delahaye, & Faasdreef, 2019), radical solutions must take place. Implementing a circular economy is a challenge, but it proves to be significant given the rate at which resources are being consumed. Designing is one of the most important tasks to achieve the circular agenda. Highlighted by Augusto, Ribeiro and Hotza “considering that design process determines 80% of the environmental impact generate by a product or service, it is important to develop production processes able to support companies in the development of environmentally friendly products or services in a fast, reliable and pragmatic manner” (Augusto, Ribeiro, & Hotza, 2019). The design process has a significant weight in the repercussions a project might have in the environment. Even though such design only refers to the architectonic or product design, the current research takes it a step further and also envisions strategic design. Reverse logistics is a vital component of the circular economy, as it would solve major loopholes and answer the questions that are currently being asked. Understanding the market and having a clearer picture of the behaviour of the materials is vital to assess the current situation and the solutions to be proposed. As mentioned by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, “thinking of systems” (Ellen MacArtur, 2017) is one of the pillars of circularity, which is what reverse logistics might address. The current research analyses the existing conditions, applied to a specific product, and then proposes a product and strategy redesign to facilitate a reverse logistics process. The general objective is to develop a framework that is useful to analyse current construction practices and that also helps identifying possible solutions, both at product and system level, facilitating the implementation of reverse logistics in the façade industry. At the end, a framework that organizes RL is proposed as well as a theoretical basis for DfRL, Design for Reverse Logistics, considering the steps needed to facilitate RL. An application of both formats is performed in a specific case, the CITG building facade panel, and an eventual design exercise is made. Universal panel solutions are proposed, a configuration that will allow interchangeability between products.

Current issues such as climate change or scarcity of resources, among others, make general business market and in this case, Lidl supermarket Netherlands continue searching and improving its commercial operations and services around circular economy principles (CE). However, CE carries several social limitations that this thesis is planned to solve through exploring social circular economy solutions (SCE) and synergistic potential of urban metabolism. Moreover, the influence of United Nations (through Sustainable Development Goals) and its objective to focus on the improvement of social conditions is important for the sustainable progress and social living conditions of degraded areas such as Spangen, the selected case study.

The built environment consumes 50% of all raw materials, 40% of the total energy and 30% of the total water, in the Netherlands. As climate change looms over and threatens our physical environment, the EU and consequently the Dutch government has proposed multiple stringent regulations to curb our unsustainable resource consumption habits and create a circular economy for the future. The realization of such an economy is currently hindered by the lack of availability of standardized design strategies and assessment methods. In comparison, a high energy performing building can be designed, assessed and operated by following the closely monitored Energy performance building directive initiated by the EU. The directive lays down stringent goals to be achieved in the built environment every few years. This imbalance leads to the development of a fast-paced energy efficient building stock with circular economy ambitions lagging behind. Addressing this gap, this research focuses on creating and testing an assessment method that measures the energy performance and circularity of a building in an integrated manner, to ensure the equal development of both aspects. In this process, data on new buildings are gathered using which the circular intentions and consequent measures incorporated in these buildings to meet the current building regulations are tracked, resulting in a set of design guidelines for improving the combined energetic and circular performance of a building.