To be able to talk about circular construction, it is necessary to develop a definition of a circular building, especially since there is no such definition in the current state of the law. This is why the following definition was created in the CIRCON project:
A circular building is a building that, throughout its life cycle, does not deplete the Earth's non-renewable resources and does not degrade the ecosystem.
To achieve this, the building should:
be designed, operated, and dismantled following the above principle;
be made entirely of materials that were already in use;
be energy efficient in the construction and use phases, and be based on renewable energy that does not deplete the Earth's non-renewable resources over its entire life cycle;
minimise waste generation during the construction and use phases;
allow for its flexible use and expansion;
allow its reuse in whole, in parts, or as individual materials.
Constructing a 100% circular building is very difficult and downright impossible with the current state of the construction sector. Nevertheless, the goals set out in the above definition (which ought to be pursued) should guide the actions taken throughout the building's life cycle.
Currently, there is no standardised way of measuring a building's or its elements' circularity. Possible ways of assessing a project's/building's circularity can be found in the Nordic Report on Metrics for circularity. An example of a tool for assessing circularity is The Circularity Index Tool, which covers the benefits of longevity, recycling, and design for disassembly.
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