Scales to Aspects Interdisciplinary Encounters

Maximizing Resource Use and Setting Reuse Rate

In this video, Elham describes the importance of prioritizing reuse and setting reuse targets. She further discusses the reclamation audits and what type of information can potentially influence material reuse rates.

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Main Takeaways

  • Any construction or renovation project will result in material movement (flows). Circular Economy (CE) aims to limit material movements in favor of preserving material stocks.
  • A reclamation audit is a process that evaluates materials’ potential for reuse thus ensuring that the identified elements are separated from waste.
  • Setting reuse goals should be based on concrete and relevant information and relies on multiple social, economic, environmental and cultural aspects that sometimes outweigh the quantitative ones.

Further Reading

  • A Roadmap to Foster Reuse Practices in the Construction Sector:  A collection of inspiring actions for public authorities, Emilie Gobbo, Michaël Ghyoot, Corinne Bernair,  Anne Paduart, report as part of the project Interreg NWE 739: Facilitating the Circulation of Reclaimed Building Elements (FCRBE), Brussels, November 2021. Roadmap available here.
  • Reuse in Environmental Impact Assessment Tools; A prospective report, Emilie Gobbo, Michaël Ghyoot, Anne Paduart, Mona Nasseredine, report as part of the project Interreg NWE 739: Facilitating the Circulation of Reclaimed Building Elements (FCRBE), October 2018 – January 2022. Report available here.
  • Reuse in Green Building Frameworks, Michaël Ghyoot, Susie Naval, Beate Zavadska, Dries Van Hout, report as part of the project Interreg NWE 739: Facilitating the Circulation of Reclaimed Building Elements (FCRBE), October 2018 – January 2022. Report available here.
  • The Circular Construction Economy Transition Agenda, 2018,  https://circulairebouweconomie.nl/about-us/
  • Célia Chaussebel, Mathilde Doutreleau, Gaspard Geerts, Michaël Ghyoot, Emilie Gobbo, Elodie Macé, Elham Maghsoudi Nia, Victor Meesters, Martine Mouchet, Mona Nasseredine, Marie-Annick Rabefiraisana, Charline Richard, Ad Straub, 2023, Set, Monitor and Report on Reclamation and Reuse Rates in Construction Projects, Part of the Interreg NWE 739 FCRBE project (Facilitating the Circulation of Reclaimed Building Elements). Report available here.
  • Célia Chaussebel, Mathilde Doutreleau, Gaspard Geerts, Michaël Ghyoot, Emilie Gobbo, Elodie Macé, Elham Maghsoudi Nia, Victor Meesters, Martine Mouchet, Mona Nasseredine, Marie-Annick Rabefiraisana, Charline Richard, Ad Straub, 2023, Ex-Post Analysis of 32 Construction and Renovation Works, Part of the Interreg NWE 739 FCRBE project (Facilitating the Circulation of Reclaimed Building Elements). Report available here.
  • Célia Chaussebel, Mathilde Doutreleau, Gaspard Geerts, Michaël Ghyoot, Emilie Gobbo, Elodie Macé, Elham Maghsoudi Nia, Victor Meesters, Martine Mouchet, Mona Nasseredine, Marie-Annick Rabefiraisana, Charline Richard, Ad Straub, 2023, 32 Detailed Project Sheets: Projects Info, Reuse Rates and Reused Elements, Part of the Interreg NWE 739 FCRBE project (Facilitating the Circulation of Reclaimed Building Elements). Report available here.

Images | Courtesy of FCRBE

Author

Elham Magshoudi Nia
Elham Magshoudi Nia
Postdoc Researcher

Elham Maghsoudi Nia, PhD, is a dedicated researcher with an academic background in sustainability studies, specializing in energy efficiency and material selection. Her recent research was focused on the circular transition and the utilization of reused building materials and components in both new construction and renovation projects at the Faculty of Architecture, TU Delft. She is deeply passionate about studying material choices and material flows in circular energy-efficient buildings, as well as investigating the socio-technical challenges related to the transition. She firmly believes that adopting circular design strategies, such as material reuse, recycling, and the implementation of material passports, alongside considering regional and social factors, is crucial for achieving sustainability goals. 

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Circularity for Educators

The platform is intended to provide with content on either circularity or pedagogy for and about circularity. It is one of the outcomes of the Circular Impulse Initiative (CII), a project intending to enhance the integration of circularity in the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment education. The platform mainly aims to help tutors get better acquainted with circularity in the built environment by providing a series of resources on this subject that they can either view to get better informed or directly share with their students in class or online. A large number of the Faculty's professors and researchers have contributed substantially both in creating a coherent narrative for circularity in the built environment as well as further elaborating on different aspects of it. Besides this one, a new platform for interaction and direct exchange was also established in parallel that we call ‘Educators for Circularity‘. This one offers the opportunity for all of us to meet and share our experiences and learn from one another.

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