By now it should be self-evident that building construction, operation, maintenance, and removal are major contributors to global carbon emissions—nearly 50% of total emissions, according to nonprofit Architecture 2030. What isn’t necessarily self-evident is precisely how building industry professionals such as designers, construction clients and asset owners can reduce emissions of projects under their purview. Cue the Circular Buildings Toolkit (CBT) a resource that its creator, engineering giant Arup, describes as “a set of practical strategies and measures that can help you approach this systemic shift with confidence, supported by a growing library of real world examples.”
The Toolkit focuses on three primary areas:
Design and build for longer term use
At the start we identify the improvements in productivity and space utilisation required. Health and wellbeing targets can be set too, before specifying the technology and data services necessary. This is also the moment to define the operational changes required to meet an organisation’s particular net zero goals.
Develop a new materials mindset
The CBT helps you to reduce the use of virgin and non-renewable materials. It also offers pathways for lower emission materials that avoid pollutants.
Learn from completed projects
CBT contains a library of completed circular building projects that prove the practicality and value of the whole ethos. You can also share your own circular building projects once you register with the tool.
Arup developed the Toolkit in partnership with the nonprofit Ellen MacArthur Foundation.