Building Revolutions

05. Circular economy principles for buildings

Look at a building, there are hundreds of tonnes of valuable materials in those buildings. The residual value of those buildings and materials is a negative one - we have demolition cost and the valuation of commercial real estate is based on discounted cashflows. No-one takes [into account] the materials because [buildings] are not designed to be material banks.

Coert Zaehariasse

Applying circular economy principles to the construction sector and buildings offers huge potential rewards.

Buildings can be designed to have a positive, enduring legacy by making them more adaptable and by ensuring that valuable materials and components can be reclaimed and reused at end-of-life. Ensuring that buildings ...