Circular, Local, Open: A Recipe for Sustainable Building Construction

Abstract

In response to the construction sector’s contribution to the climate crisis and exacerbation of social inequalities, we explore sustainable alternatives in building construction, informed by the illustrative case study of the Polycare construction system. First, through a Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) method, we show that the ecological footprint of circularity-oriented buildings based on polymer concrete is significantly lower than that of conventional cement concrete buildings. Despite the drawbacks of polymer concrete, its high-performance properties and the possibility to integrate secondary materials in its recipe can result in a reduced carbon footprint. When coupled with design-embedded modularity that facilitates circular processes (e.g., the disassembly and reuse of building components), buildings similar to those in the case study demonstrate potential for transitioning towards comprehensive sustainable building practices. Further, we discuss how this sustainability potential could be enhanced, drawing from interviews with Polycare’s stakeholders and key literature findings. In this direction, we provide a set of proposals anchored in the argument that threefold “circularity, localisation, and openness” is vital for sustainable and affordable alternatives, with openness being a crucial element for fostering innovation, adaptability, and scalability in building processes.

Is the Concept of Zero Waste Possible to Implement in Construction?

“…Formally, it is not part of the set of technical concepts that make up the life cycle of a building. The importance of education in both social and qualified terms, i.e., the inclusion of zero-waste concepts in the curricula of schools at all levels, together with the university level, is an important factor in the dissemination of habits of the secondary use of all goods, including building materials [52]. In the context of this article, it is therefore necessary to properly educate both the teams managing the optimisation of the construction process and contractors [53], who often have a significant impact on the choices of investors.…”

Circular Material Usage Strategies and Principles in Buildings: A Review

“…The principles and design criteria for the development of ecofriendly materials in an CE have been schematically outlined in Figure 9. Therefore, although research tends to focus on the recovery of CDW for the development of products with a high content of recycled material and the human factor associated with the management [49], Figure 9 shows that the possibilities are much broader and arise from the study of compatibility between the recycled material and its final application.…”

“…This is the case for the design of structures using disassembled joints, instead of using glues or binder materials. By analyzing the final application of the product, conclusions can be drawn about the amount of recycled raw material that can be reincorporated [51], its viability for the design of certain construction systems [52], or the Therefore, although research tends to focus on the recovery of CDW for the development of products with a high content of recycled material and the human factor associated with the management [49], Figure 9 shows that the possibilities are much broader and arise from the study of compatibility between the recycled material and its final application.…”

“…6.1. Polyblock System (Germany) [49] The Polyblock has emerged as a prefabricated block-type construction component (Figure 17) that is intended to be used as an alternative to conventional concrete. Its design is based on the reuse of waste materials together with the rational and responsible use of local materials.…”