Building a circular future

In the 7th edition of Circular Cities & Regions Roundtable The focus was on one of the biggest levers for climate protection and resource conservation: circular construction and a circularly built environment. The construction and building sector is responsible for around 35% of resource consumption and around 40% of global emissions worldwide, thus harbouring enormous circular potential (Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2024/25). 

What is a circularly built environment? A circularly built environment does not view buildings and infrastructure as disposable products, but rather as material banks. Components and materials are reused, recycled or used in new projects throughout their entire life cycle. Flexible planning, modular construction methods and digital tools enable resources to be used efficiently, waste to be avoided and long-term adaptation to changing requirements. 

In order to shed light on the potential and challenges of circular construction in a practical way, experts from the fields of business, research and law presented their perspectives. Their presentations showed how ideas, concepts and strategies can be translated into concrete projects. 

Anna-Vera Deinhammer – Member of the Executive Board, Project Management KRAISBAU 

Anna-Vera Deinhammer emphasises that a circular construction industry is possible, but that this requires a fundamental rethink of planning, standards and mindsets: it is not just about new materials and technologies, but about a new way of thinking. It is extremely important to rethink standards and rules and to create framework conditions that enable a circular economy. 

Important points: 

• A climate-neutral construction sector free of waste and landfill is possible 

• A fundamental change in the industry is necessary to ensure a transition from linear to circular construction. 

• AI as a game changer: Using AI to standardise processes, close data gaps and find cost-effective solutions in the construction industry 

• Deconstruction as a resource with 100% Recycling instead of landfill 

• Circular planning and modular construction through quality, flexibility and systematic thinking 

• Practical learning and demonstration projects such as KRAISBAU projects create benchmarks, identify obstacles and provide practical expertise. 

• Develop new business models and markets (renovation, maintenance, reuse, „buildings as a service“, circular offerings) 

Maria Troger – Schiefer Solicitors  

Maria Troger explained how circular procurement criteria can be integrated into tendering procedures in order to take sustainable and resource-efficient supply chains into account from the outset. The aim is to incorporate sustainable, circular criteria as early as the tendering and commissioning stage in order to systematically promote the circular economy. 

Important points: 

• A needs analysis and concept development is the key step in the procurement process for defining requirements at an early stage. 

• Overcoming the standard service specifications enables more flexible, circular tenders 

• Inclusion of clear sustainability requirements for suppliers (e.g. Chain of Custody (CoC) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD)) 

Franziska Trebut – Austrian Society for Environment & Technology (ÖGUT)

Franziska Trebut provides insights into the ÖGUT project „Austria learns circular economy“, which promotes qualification and competence building in the circular economy and bioeconomy. 

Important points: 

• Building expertise in circular economy and bioeconomy 

• Networking of stakeholders from business, research and administration 

• Promotion of knowledge transfer and best practices 

• Support for the implementation of circular strategies at regional and national level 

• Based on Beducci et al. (2024): Transfer of skill categories and occupational fields to the construction industry and infrastructure for the analysis of qualification requirements and educational opportunities (see Fig. 1) 

Fig. 1: Conceptual framework for circular economy in the construction sector, which systematically outlines the necessary skills and management competencies as well as the job profiles and roles required to implement circular business models. 

Source: Beducci et al. (2024), Journal of Clearer Production. Licence: CC BY 4.0 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652624009041 

Good practice: CampusVäre 

As part of the CampusVäre project in Dornbirn, Bettina Steindl (CampusVäre management), Max Hilbert (architect, JK&P) and Erich Wutscher (head of building construction, City of Dornbirn) are working together to implement innovative use of existing buildings through close cooperation between architecture, city administration and site development.   On the site of former spinning mill halls, a multifunctional space for creative industries, art, culture and innovation is being created, which makes sustainable use of existing buildings while also creating space for exchange and collaboration. 

Projects such as this demonstrate how circular planning not only conserves resources, but also opens up new potential for urban development and collaborative working.