Circular approaches to the construction and building sector were the focus of many conversations at the Canadian Circular Economy Summit in Montreal on April 16.
The construction and building sector is one of the most problematic in terms of its environmental impact. Researchers estimate that the sector is responsible for one-third to 37% of all global carbon emissions, and that the sector has moved to decarbonize at a slower pace than others.
“The built environment is one of the largest users of resources, and generators of waste,” Rene Sigg, former managing director at Zurich-based strategic planning firm Intep, said.
He believes the sector holds the keys to the most powerful sustainable solutions.
“We have to meet the planetary boundaries, and transition to circular approaches, prioritizing reuse, longevity, and regeneration,” he said. “We need structured and scalable innovation, and the transformation of the whole construction industry.”
Addressing the circularity challenge in construction
For Bruno Demers, the executive director of Architecture Without Borders Quebec, there needs to be a demonstrable shift in the industry’s culture.
“In the architecture and design field, there’s an aesthetical culture,” he said. “We need to deconstruct that culture, and construct a culture of reuse.”
This will require the fundamental re-envisioning of the construction process, he added.
“For architects, designers, and builders, let’s start with inventorying what’s inside, before doing deconstruction at the last minute.”
Natalie Voland, the CEO of Gestion Immobilliere Quo Vadis which focuses on repurposing heritage buildings and constructing carbon-neutral affordable housing, the key focus needs to be on cost.
She acknowledges that while building capacity in the sector to meet circularity and creating a culture of embracing circular objectives is critical, the cost of implementing circular principles will always be the primary driver in decisions.
“I need to build now,” she said. “I need to make sure I can make money and do good at the same time.”
She urged builders, architects, and planners to make quick strides in incorporating circularity in their processes.
“We need to put really smart people around the table, and make decisions that can lead to making market returns.”
A challenge in the sector is the lack of standards for material reuse and for deconstruction, CSA Group Construction and Infrastructure Director Dwayne Torrey said.
“Without standards, there’s no continuity or consistency” in how these principles are applied, he said.
Equally necessary is building the capacity within the construction sector to manage this new approach to building and deconstructing, he said.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s circular construction, or any other type of construction. There’s a big void in knowledge now, with a lot of retirements across the sector. We need to build on capacity-building.”
For Intep’s Sigg, policy is the most impactful driver for change in the construction industry.
“We need strong, powerful policies,” he said. “It’s not about technology, it’s not about labor, it’s about cost.”
For those concerned that heavy-handed policy could handicap the industry and raise the ire of investors, Sigg said these concerns are overblown.
“The investors, the real estate industry, are really quite flexible, and they can adapt very quickly,” he said, pointing to construction ordinances passed in Zurich in the 1980s that initially were met by resistance by the sector, and then implemented quickly.
International successes can pave the way
While the construction sector in Canada has not seen widespread adoption of circular measures yet, there are many international examples which provide a blueprint for future development.
In Japan, the challenge of seismic threats and high urban density have led developers and builders to adopt modular and prefab construction methods, Sigg said.
Meanwhile, in Switzerland and in Singapore, building codes require new construction to have life cycle assessment benchmarks, as well as circular design benchmarks. These were implemented because sustainability is a national priority in both countries, he said.
China has now implemented legislation to drive urban mining, or the recovery of building materials from deconstruction rather than procuring new materials for builds. This has led to 80% of reconstruction waste being reused or recycled.
Switzerland and the Netherlands are also pioneering the use of material passports, which track materials through their whole-life cycle, Sigg said. This allows for disassembly of buildings and the reuse of materials for new construction.
Necessary steps to encourage Canadian circular construction
More research needs to be done in the manufacturing of reusable materials, the CSA Group said in a March 2024 report.
The reuse of materials “is the most challenging to address because building design often stipulates the type, quality, and standards of materials used,” the organization said.
CSA encouraged the use of 3D scanners and AI tools to determine what materials exist in a building eligible for deconstruction, to identify these materials’ reuse options.
The group also suggests that architects and builders keep better records on the materials used in construction to encourage more reuse, adaptation, and material recovery.
The CSA also calls for prioritizing research on structural applications of reclaimed materials, and developing standards and certifications for structural reuse of reclaimed materials.
