circularity
Rethink, reduce, reuse and adapt
We prioritize adaptive reuse, renovation, and circular building methods that reduce construction waste and minimize the use of virgin materials. Circular strategies are integrated from the start, guiding design decisions and resource planning to build with flexibility and ultimately reduce embodied emissions.
Why circularity matters?
The construction sector is one of the largest users of raw materials and one of the largest producers of waste. Replacing virgin materials with reused or recycled ones reduces environmental pressure and supports Amsterdam’s and national ambition for a circular economy by 2050. Policy is catching up: municipalities increasingly require circular metrics in tenders, and projects that fail to integrate circular strategies may soon face permit limitations or financial penalties. But beyond compliance, circularity supports architectural quality, it encourages long-term thinking, care for what’s already built, and a more rational use of what we create. Circular strategies based on reuse and resource use optimization can significantly contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions of the built environment.
What circularity track is about?
Circularity focuses on extending the life cycle of buildings, components, and resources by rethinking how we design, construct, and transform the built environment. Circularity starts with assessing what already exists, from buildings and structures to materials and technical systems, and asks how these can be preserved, adapted, or reused without becoming waste. It includes a wide range of design strategies: adapting or renovating existing buildings, designing new structures for future disassembly and transformation, using secondary or recycled materials, and integrating systems that enable reuse of resources like grey water or rainwater installations. These strategies are deeply architectural, influencing massing, structure, detailing, and technical planning.
In design practice
Circular design starts with formulating strategic approach in the earliest phases. Whether deciding to retain a buildings structure or proposing design for disassembly, feasibility must be checked from sketch design phase onward. For architects, circular design is an opportunity to lead, by developing creative, feasible strategies that reduce use of virgin materials and embodied carbon emissions. Innovative building technologies (modular or timber construction), often differ in technical detailing, basic measurements, or construction logistics from business as usual. When choosing for novel technologies, make sure to consider them early and check technical feasibility in order to ensure smooth design process.