The findings gained through the thorough research of the case studies clearly imply that more circularity can and should be applied to the construction sector. The methods of doing so range from simple renovations, that prolong the buildings lifetime, to more complicated design processes allowing disassembly where the first steps are cumbersome but fairly advantageous in the end. Since the current world is evolving at an increasing pace, and environmentalism is continuously becoming more appreciated and relevant, the construction sector is under continuous pressure to keep up with it.
The authorities also play an essential role in this transformation from linearity to circularity. Adding incentives to constructions that are supporting this trend should have some kind of financial advantages over the old-fashioned type of buildings. If no incentives are applied, there is a risk that only a small portion of business owners will choose the more environmental solutions since that would mean changing their traditional ways without gaining any financial profit. The electric automobile industry can be observed as an excellent example of government regulations supporting a greener lifestyle. Countries such as Norway and the Netherlands have applied tax cuts as well as other incentives, such as more affordable parking spots, for people purchasing electric vehicles which has resulted in a massive wave of people preferring electric vehicles over regular ones (Jüdell 2020; Statista, 2020; World Economic Forum, 2020).
One of the main limitations facing this study is the fact that none of the researched case studies presents particularly cost-effective solutions to apply circularity. Instead, most of them showcase the beginnings of their concepts and the possibilities that the trend of circularity has to offer for this particular industry. Nonetheless, this does not diminish the importance of these projects and their concepts since all of them create the much-needed foundation, which in turn will allow further improvement and the creation of future standards. Later on, the standardisation of the concepts will allow for the prices to decrease to a more commonly approachable level.
From today´s perspective, the technologies and concepts discussed in this thesis present the future of construction. These circular solutions offer both positive as well as negative aspects but fortunately the first outweighing the latter. Nevertheless, it is for later following studies to determine whether the new methods described in this
thesis will actually become the new standards or if they will disappear as interesting, yet non-profitable ideas. Likewise, the total frequency of the methods used can only be determined during the following years.
Regarding the reliability of this thesis, one must acknowledge that the sample size of the case studies chosen to present each circular construction method is relatively small. By most concepts, only one case study was presented as an example, thus somewhat reducing the total reliability of the results but not necessarily their validity.
The limited sample size is mainly due to the fact that most of the circular methods presented are considered innovative breakthrough projects thus making it more challenging to find multiple, comparable case studies to be presented side by side for this study. Likewise, also due to the almost unique nature of these projects, only limited information was to be found concerning each case. This is an unfortunate but unavoidable downside reducing the reliability of the results and thus making it even more critical for further studies to be performed on the topic. With the concepts becoming more standardised in the future, the amount of information that is readily available of them will most probably also increase thus also improving the reliability of those research papers.
Lastly, regarding the possible weaknesses concerning this thesis, it is essential to state that due to the lack of experience of the writer concerning producing scientific research papers, the likelihood for human errors is slightly increased.
Declaration of Authorship
I hereby declare that the attached Master’s thesis was completed independently and without the prohibited assistance of third parties, and that no sources or assistance were used other than those listed. All passages whose content or wording originates from another publication have been marked as such. Neither this thesis nor any variant of it has previously been submitted to an examining authority or published.
Helsinki, 31.10.2020
Location, Date Signature of the student
Bibliography
:MLZD, 2016. Umbau BESUCHERZENTRUM FLUGHAFEN TEMPELHOF. [Online]
Available at: https://www.mlzd.ch/projects/kultur/ttb/
[Accessed 14 August 2020].
Addis, B., 2012. Building with Reclaimed Components and Materials - A Design Handbook for Reuse and Recycling. 1st Edition ed. London: Routledge.
AG Gruppen, nd. [Online] Available at: https://aggruppen.dk/en/ourcornerstone/
[Accessed 28 September 2020].
Andrew, R. M., 2018. Global CO2 emissions from cement production. Earth System Science Data, Volume 10, pp. 195–217, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-195-2018.
Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher Verkehrsflughäfen, 2020. ADV Monthly Traffic Report.
[Online] Available at:
https://www.adv.aero/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/12.2019-ADV-Monatsstatistik.pdf [Accessed 9 August 2020].
Arkitekturbilleder, nd. The Resource Rows. [Online] Available at: https://www.
arkitekturbilleder.dk/bygning/ressourceraekkerne/ [Accessed 22 August 2020].
Bahu, J.-M.et al., 2017. Integrated Urban-Energy Planning for the Redevelopment of the Berlin-Tegel Airport. Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions.
SSPCR 2015. Green Energy and Technology, Issue https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44899-2_2, pp. 407-419.
BAMB, 2016. NEW OFFICE BUILDING - CASE STUDIES AND PILOTS IN BAMB.
[Online] Available at: https://www.bamb2020.eu/topics/pilot-cases-in-bamb/
new-office-building/ [Accessed 3 August 2020].
BBC, 2012. Global resources stock check. [Online]
Available at: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20120618-global-resources-stock-check [Accessed 14 June 2020].
Berlin.de, 2020. Tempelhofer Feld bekommt 90 Bäume. [Online]
Available at: https://www.berlin.de/tourismus/infos/verkehr/nachrichten/60900 60-4357821-tempelhofer-feld-bekommt-90-baeume-.html [Accessed 15 July 2020].
Berlin.de, nd. Stadtgrün - Tempelhofer Feld. [Online] Available at:
https://www.berlin.de/senuvk/umwelt/stadtgruen/aktuelles/de/projekte/tempelh ofer_feld/index.shtml [Accessed 18 July 2020].
Blanco, J. L., Fuchs, S., Parsons, M. & Ribeirinho, M. J., 2018. Artificial Intelligence:
Construction Technology's Next Frontier. [Online] Available at:
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/capital-projects-and-infrastructure/our-insights/artificial-intelligence-construction-technologys-next-frontier
[Accessed 6 June 2020].
Brand, S., 1995. How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They’re Built. s.l.:Penguin Group US.
Brenner, V., 2010. Recyclinggerechtes Konstruieren - Konzepte für eine abfallfreie Konstruktionsweise im Bauwesen. [Online] Available at:
https://issuu.com/valib/docs/recycling [Accessed 3 August 2020].
Bundesverwaltungsgericht, 2007. Grünes Licht für Schließung des Flughafens Berlin-Tempelhof. [Online] Available at: https://www.bverwg.de/pm/2007/74 [Accessed 17 June 2020].
C-Voucher, 2019. Circular economy vs. linear economy. [Online]
Available at: https://c-voucher.com/circular-economy-vs-linear-economy/
[Accessed 23 July 2020].
CDU Berlin, 2019. Berliner CDU will einen Wald auf dem Tempelhofer Feld. [Online]
Available at: https://www.morgenpost.de/berlin/article227608213/Tempelhofer-Feld-Berliner-CDU-will-Wald-auf-ehemaligen-Flughafen.html
[Accessed 11 June 2020].
Deutsche Welle, 2020. Berlin's new airport is finally set to open, its future is up in the air. [Online] Available at: https://www.dw.com/en/berlins-new-airport-is-finally-set-to-open-its-future-is-up-in-the-air/a-53672964 [Accessed 18 August 2020].
Ellen McArthur Foundation, SUN, McKinsey Center for Business and Environment, 2015. GROWTH WITHIN: A CIRCULAR ECONOMY VISION FOR A
COMPETITIVE EUROPE. [Online] Available at:
https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/publications/Ellen MacArthurFoundation_Growth-Within_July15.pdf [Accessed 15 June 2020].
European Commission, 2014. RESOURCE EFFICIENCY OPPORTUNITIES IN THE
BUILDING SECTOR. [Online] Available at:
https://ec.europa.eu/environment/eussd/pdf/SustainableBuildingsCommunicati on.pdf [Accessed 12 July 2020].
European Commission, 2016. The European Construction Sector - A Global Partner.
[Online] Available at:
https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/15866/attachments/1/translations/e n/renditions/native [Accessed 15 July 2020].
European Energy Innovation, 2017. Buildings As Material Banks: Where Are We Now?. [Online] Available at: http://www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu/Latest- Research/Summer-2017/BAMB-Buildings-As-Material-Banks-Where-are-we-now [Accessed 7 July 2020].
European Environment Agency, 2020. Construction and demolition waste: Challenges and opportunities in a circular economy. [Online] Available at:
Geissdoerfer, M., Savaget, P., Bocken, N. & Hultink, E., 2017. The Circular Economy – A new sustainability paradigm?. Journal of Cleaner Production, 143(1), pp.
757-768. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.12.048.
GENBYG.DK, nd. Genbyg - Denmark's largest webshop for used building materials.
[Online] Available at: https://genbyg.dk/hvem-er-vi/
[Accessed 6 August 2020].
Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, 2018. 2018 Global Status Report.
[Online] Available at:
Google Earth, 2020. Tegel Airport (TXL), 52°33'15.84"N, 13°17'27.44"E, elevation 36M. [Online] [Accessed 2 September 2020].
Green Building Council Finland, 2018. Circular economy in the built environment &
seven essential objectives. [Online] Available at:
https://media.sitra.fi/2018/10/15103134/circular-economy-in-the-built-environment.pdf [Accessed 21 July 2020].
Guldager Jensen, K. & Sommer, J., 2018. Building a Circular Future. [Online]
Available at: http://www.buildingacircularfuture.com/book [Accessed 5 August 2020].
GXN and Responsible Assets, 2018. Circle House - Denmark's first circular housing project. [Online] Available at: http://www.buildingacircularfuture.com/house [Accessed 14 July 2020].
Halling, P., 2020. Recycled bricks. [Online] Available at:
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6356681 [Accessed 23 July 2020].
Heinrich, M. & Lang, W., 2019. Material Passports - Best Practice. [Online] Available at: https://www.bamb2020.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/BAMB_Materials Passports_BestPractice.pdf [Accessed 10 August 2020].
ING Economics Department, 2017. Circular construction: Most opportunities for demolishers and wholesalers. [Online] Available at:
https://www.ing.nl/media/ING_EBZ_Circular-construction_Opportunities-for-demolishers-and-wholesalers_juni-2017_tcm162-127568.pdf [Accessed 11 August 2020].
Jüdell, F., 2020. Everything You Need To Know About EV Incentives In The Netherlands. [Online] Available at: https://wallbox.com/en_us/netherlands-ev-incentives [Accessed 15 September 2020].
Kadawittfeldarchitektur, 2019. Closed-loop Building - Every square metre of cultural heritage is precious!. [Online] Available at:
https://www.kadawittfeldarchitektur.de/en/projekt/rag-stiftung-und-rag-ag-zollverein/ [Accessed 6 August 2020].
Kozminska, U., 2019. Circular design: reused materials and the future reuse of building elements in architecture. Process, challenges and case studies, s.l.: IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 225.
Kunz, J. & Fischer, M., 2020. Virtual design and construction. Construction Management and Economics, 38(4), pp. 355-363.
https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2020.1714068.
Lendager Group, nd. [Online] Available at: https://lendager.com/en/about-us/
[Accessed 28 July 2020].
Mason, T. O. & Lea, F. M., 2020. Cement, s.l.: Encyclopædia Britannica.
McKinsey&Company, 2017. REINVENTING CONSTRUCTION: A ROUTE TO
HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY. [Online] Available at:
https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Industries/Capital%20Projects%
20and%20Infrastructure/Our%20Insights/Reinventing%20construction%20thro ugh%20a%20productivity%20revolution/MGI-Reinventing-construction-A-route-to-higher-productivity-Full-report.pdf [Accessed 12 August 2020].
Mulhall, D., Braungart, M. & Hansen, K., 2019. CREATING BUILDINGS WITH POSITIVE IMPACTS. [Online] Available at: https://www.bamb2020.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Creating-Buildings-with-Positive-Impacts.pdf
[Accessed 3 August 2020].
Muthu, S. S., 2019. Circular Economy in Textiles and Apparel: Processing, Manufacturing, and Design. 1st ed. s.l.:Woodhead Publishing.
OECD, 2019. Global Material Resources Outlook to 2060: Economic Drivers and Environmental Consequences. Paris: OECD Publishing.
Ortner, P., 2020. The Essence of Berlin-Tegel. Berlin: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.
Othuman Mydin, M. A., 2017. Significance of Building Maintenance Management on Life-Span of Buildings. Robotica and Management, 01 July, Issue 22, pp. 40-44.
PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, 2019. Opportunities for a circular economy. [Online] Available at: https://themasites.pbl.nl/o/circular-economy/ [Accessed 6 July 2020].
Petrov, I. & Hakimov, A., 2019. Digital technologies in construction monitoring and construction control. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 497(012016), pp. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/497/1/012016.
Pikist, nd a. [Online] Available at: https://www.pikist.com/free-photo-vcliu [Accessed 23 July 2020].
Pikist, nd b. [Online] Available at: https://www.pikist.com/free-photo-sybgs [Accessed 23 July 2020].
Rieke, J., 2012. Muuratsalo Experimental House. [Online] Available at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathanrieke/9490205894/in/photostream/
[Accessed 14 August 2020].
Seier+seier, 2018. Flickr. [Online] Available at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/seier/43271291551/in/photostream/ [Accessed 23 July 2020].
Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Europa, 2019. Flughafen Tegel (TXL) unter Denkmalschutz. [Online] Available at: https://www.berlin.de/sen /kulteu/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/2019/pressemitteilung.798560.php
[Accessed 11 August 2020].
Statista, 2020. Passenger car sales in the Netherlands 2010-2019, by fuel type Published by Lars Kamer, Oct 1, 2020 As of 2019, most of the passenger cars sold in the Netherlands were petrol fueled vehicles. 71 percent of the sales
Tegel Projekt GmbH, nd. Certified with distinction: Sustainable construction in Berlin
TXL. [Online] Available at:
Tempelhof Projekt GmbH, 2019. Flughafen Tempelhof - Geschaeftsbericht 2019.
[Online] Available at: https://www.thf-berlin.de/fileadmin/user_upload /06_Downloads/TP_Geschaeftsbericht_2019.pdf [Accessed 15 July 2020].
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2015. Delivering the circular economy: a toolkit for
policymakers. [Online] Available at:
https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/publications/Ellen
The New York Times, 2008. Crowds Bid Farewell to Airport That Saved Berlin. [Online]
Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/31/world/europe/31berlin.html [Accessed 15 August 2020].
The Resource Rows, 2019. FROM CONSTRUCTION WASTE TO VALUABLE RESOURCES. [Online] Available at: https://ressourceraekkerne.com/
[Accessed 4 June 2020].
TSGT Jose Lopez Jr., U. A. F., 1984. An aerial view of an open house being held at the Tempelhof International Airport in 1984.. [Online] Available at:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FlughafenBerlinTempelhof1984-2.jpg [Accessed 13 August 2020].
United Nations, 2019. World Population Prospects 2019: Highlights. [Online] Available at: https://population.un.org/wpp/Publications/Files/WPP2019_Highlights.pdf [Accessed 19 July 2020].
Wilson, R., 2019. Old into new: Recycled bricks form facade of Copenhagen housing project. [Online] Available at: https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/buildings/old-into-new-recycled-bricks-form-facade-of-copenhagen-housing-project
[Accessed 22 August 2020].
World Circular Economy Forum, 2019. Construction + Circular Economy WCEF2019.
[Online] Available at:
https://vimeo.com/user10417749/review/340614793/ff0bb2b5b5 [Accessed 18 July 2020].
World Economic Forum, 2020. 60% of cars sold in Norway last month were electric.
[Online] Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/norway-electric-cars-majority-sales/ [Accessed 12 October 2020].
Zhou, K. et al., 2020. Developing advanced techniques to reclaim existing end of service life(EoSL) bricks–An assessment of reuse technical viability.
Developments in the Built Environment, Volume 2.