Broadly, circular economy principles aim to design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use and regenerate natural systems. The application of circular economy principles to buildings includes several building design choices that influence the longevity, durability and adaptability of buildings and the generation of waste at each building life cycle stage, and therefore influence the efficient use of resources in construction.

Various parameters need to be considered such as quality of materials; design of spaces and assembly of components; skills levels of designers/builders/installers/demolition contractors; environmental context; operating conditions; levels of maintenance. Several socio-economic factors also impact the longevity of buildings such as costs of land ownership and long-term rental; trends towards new performances and functional requirements; urban development plans; preferences for new buildings versus existing buildings. As a result, the life span of a building can be shorter or longer than its originally foreseen service life.

In the context of the European Green Deal, the strategy for a Renovation Wave for Europe was unveiled in 2020 and facilitates a balanced approach to building renovation by integrating life-cycle thinking and circularity with energy performance improvements. The European Commission also developed Level(s), which is a common framework to measure and report on the sustainability performance of buildings across a series of indicators covering the whole life cycle. Data generated from the Level(s) framework and from other sources could potentially be stored in a Digital Building Logbook and facilitate circular approaches as well as other applications.

In light of these policy developments, this study aims to assist the Commission with identifying policy options that support the uptake of “Circular economy principles for buildings’ design” in European, national and local policies. The goal is to increase the service life of buildings, facilitate the use of secondary materials i.e. reused and recycled materials and improve resource efficiency across the building life cycle.

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