Abstract

This chapter shows the results of a study carried out on the application of circular economy principles throughout the building stock regeneration process, highlighting the challenges, the opportunities and several key themes for future research. The methodology of research is based on a literature review and on-field investigation through direct interviews with operators and stakeholders of the building value chain, on a European level. At first, the chapter shows the importance of applying the circular economy concept to the built environment and the crucial role of the building level. After that, the chapter looks into the parallel issue of the current necessity to renovate a large part of existing buildings. Consequently, the opportunities and the challenges in linking the circular economy to building stock regeneration are discussed. Secondly, the chapter identifies the strategies to support the transition towards a sustainable circular building regeneration process, identifying the policy improvements necessary to promote circular strategies during the building process, the strategic partnership useful to activate profitable and sustainable circular business, and the environmental and economic life-cycle assessment tools for supporting decisions and for verifying that the implementation of circular strategies is actually sustainable from an economic and environmental life cycle point of view.

Highlights

  • This chapter shows the results of a study carried out on the application of circular economy principles throughout the building stock regeneration process, highlighting the challenges, the opportunities and several key themes for future research

  • There are a lot of challenges, especially because buildings are complex systems in a continuous state of change: they are constituted by various elements, with different lifespan and functions, and the building process involves a lot of stakeholders (Fig. 1)

  • The chapter discusses the opportunities to link circular economy and the process of building stock regeneration, in order to activate sustainable strategies which can avoid the generation of construction and demolition waste and the consumption of raw materials

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Summary

Introduction

«Anyone who believes that exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist» said K. Since 2014, European policies have promoted, as part of green economy objectives, the transition towards a circular economy, which focuses on the importance of activating virtuous strategies such as reuse and recycling in order to reduce the quantity of raw materials extracted, and reduce the quantity of waste (European Commission 2014, 2015). Current studies are looking for solutions to apply the circular economy concept to the built environment. The necessary regeneration of European building stock represents a challenge that can be an important opportunity to apply circular economy to the built environment. The introduction of life cycle tools to verify the level of sustainability during the building process is, more than ever, crucial: if the building process has to change to achieve a circular process, it is important to change it in an effective and sustainable way. There are a lot of challenges, especially because buildings are complex systems in a continuous state of change: they are constituted by various elements, with different lifespan and functions, and the building process involves a lot of stakeholders (Fig. 1)

The Circular Economy in the Built Environment
Opportunities and Challenges in Building Stock Regeneration
Strategies Towards a Sustainable Circular Building Regeneration Process
Policy Improvements
Relationships Throughout the Building Renovation Value Chain and Circular Business Models
Life Cycle Tools as a Decision-Making Support
Findings
Conclusion
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