Photo by Einar H. Reynis on Unsplash
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Building purpose: Multi-purpose facility (e.g., bank headquarter, service premises, co-working spaces)
Type of work: New construction
Year of completion: 2017
The Circl pavilion was the first project to implement sustainable and circular design in the Netherlands practically. Within the project, all main aspects of circular construction were considered. Firstly, various materials and products were directly reused (e.g., old glazed facade) or remanufactured/recycled and reused (e.g., old jeans made into insulation) in the pavilion construction. Secondly, the building was designed to minimise the use of materials and waste generation. Moreover, permanent and destructive connections were avoided to enable the dismantling of the materials/elements and reusing them in the future. Thirdly, using moving walls increased the building’s spatial flexibility (reversibility), adaptability, and sharing potential. Additionally, some elements are leased as “object as service”. Last but not least, all materials and elements are recorded as a “digital twin” and stored as the building’s passport).
Location: Skógarströnd, Iceland
Building purpose: Private housing and guesthouse
Type of work: Renovation and extension
Year of completion: 2019
Drangar was originally a complex of farm buildings (a tractor shed, a cowshed, a farmhouse, a barn, and a hay tower) built in the 1980s and operating as such until 2001. After 12 years of falling into disrepair, the buildings were rehabilitated into a private house (former barn and farmhouse) and a guesthouse (former tractor shed and cowshed). Rehabilitation of existing building stock is already a highly circular activity. Moreover, the project aimed to retain as many existing materials and structures as possible to preserve buildings’ heritage and reduce the project’s environmental impact. As a privately owned project, Drangar represents an example of a circular mindset on a smaller scale.
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Building purpose: Multi-purpose facility (e.g., library, office space, cinema, exhibition facilities)
Type of work: New construction
Year of completion: 2018
The Helsinki Central Library was built without importing raw materials from outside the country, except for wood. Its space was arranged to allow wide adaptability and reversibility, increasing its sharing potential as well. Thanks to that, the building offers a wide range of services, such as, among others, library, conference rooms, co-working space, laboratory, recording studios, photo studio, office space, café, restaurant, cinema, auditorium, or exhibition facilities.
Location: Oslo, Norway
Building purpose: Office building
Type of work: Renovation and extension
Year of completion: 2021
Kristian Augustus gate 13 (KA13) is the first project in Norway to implement circular construction in a significant way by reusing nearly 80% of materials. The project was twofold as it combined the rehabilitation of the existing building (2734 m2) with adding an extra extension (855 m2) and remodelling the basement (708 m2).
KA13 focused on two main aspects of circular construction: reuse materials and design-for-disassembly. The existing part of the building was rehabilitated, keeping in mind using as many existing structures and materials as possible. In the extension, reused materials were gathered from, among others, 25 local demolition and renovation projects, recycling centres, and material retailers/producers’ warehouses in the form of waste/surplus. Moreover, several design-for-disassembly solutions were created involving secondary materials. Eventually, it was kept in mind that materials not used in KA13 would be used in other projects run by the project leader and manager (Entra ASA).
Location: Orzesze, Poland
Building purpose: Office building and employee canteen
Type of work: Adaptation and renovation
Year of completion: 2021
A former heavy industry complex from the 1960s has been adapted for the new headquarters of the Danish company NT Industry. The project included renovating the old gatehouse, adapting the industrial hall into an office and a new canteen for 250 employees, and creating a garden and recreational space outside the canteen. The concepts of zero waste and restoring existing buildings with the least possible interference were implemented in the project. Consequently, the architectural form and building dimensions remained unchanged, and the facade and window layout were kept. Moreover, the interiors were designed in a loft style to maintain the industrial character of the building and restored steel elements. Last but not least, the office building and canteen were designed with flexibility of space use in mind, enhancing their adaptability and sharing potential.
Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
Building purpose: Office building
Type of work: Expansion
Year of completion: 2019
Olympic House was a project aiming at enlarging the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters to accommodate all 500 employees, previously scattered in offices throughout the city. Sustainable development was one of the main aspects considered within the project. It was emphasised in, among others, resource efficiency (e.g., installations decreasing water and energy consumption by 60% and 35 %, respectively, compared to a standard new office building), user comfort (e.g., adaptable spaces and 90% of regularly occupied spaced with quality views), sustainable greening strategies (e.g., 2500 m2 of the vegetated roof and 150 trees planted on-site and in the surrounding areas), and circular economy actions (e.g., selective demolition of former IOC offices resulting in 95% rate of reuse and recycle of materials).