Reviewing the critical factors for circular building design and construction

Abstract

Abstract Buildings and associated stock have a negative environmental impact during construction and operation. The transition of the built environment to circular economy (CE) has become widely accepted due to growing concerns regarding the end of life of current building stock. This transition is highlighted as a step towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals for GHG emissions and decarbonisation by 2030 by the UN, and net zero targets by 2050 by peak bodies such as the World Green Building Council. To support this, focus on circular building (CB) has become paramount, especially at the building level, since circularity is associated with the dynamics of processes, materials, and stakeholders that enable optimising resources while minimizing waste throughout a building’s lifecycle. Nevertheless, there is an ongoing debate among professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) sector on the implementation of CE principles during the initial design phase of buildings. The uptake of CE presents challenges, primarily due to the cost and complexity associated with the design process and the absence of immediate economic value, as compared to traditional approaches. This paper presents a critical literature review of CE and examines the key design factors that contribute to the preliminary development of a framework for circular buildings to guide designers on the uptake of circularity.