Building Revolutions

04. Starting at the end

The construction sector has a high raw material dependence and handles materials with high intrinsic value, while generating significant volumes of waste.

Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Buildings are a complex assembly of materials that are designed for construction and use, with little or no consideration of how they will be adapted and refurbished or demolished at end-of-life.

Consequently, any changes to the building during its life or at its demolition create tonnes of waste that are typically downcycled into lower grade products rather than being reused or recycled. That is aside from the fact that buildings are often demolished before the building elements have failed

Great strides have been made in increasing the ...