By Felix Heisel and Dirk E Hebel, in collaboration with Ken Webster. Birkhäuser, 2022, ISBN: 9783035621099

Matti Kuittinen reviews this outstanding book on circular construction and circular economy, which not only discusses resource aspects of construction and architecture but also covers the underlying fundamentals. This can inspire building designers, construction professionals, authorities, and policy makers. Equally, it is an effective resource for builders and demolition professionals, building inspectors, product developers, and municipal authorities who may be considering embarking in the path of circularity.

The transition to circular economy and construction is advancing all too slowly. Therefore, this book is to be welcomed. Its value is not limited to well-formulated fundamentals, case studies, and strategies. This book holds inspirational potential that could accelerate the shift away from linear models of designing, building and demolishing. Hopefully, this information and inspiration package will quickly find its way into the hands and minds of building designers, construction professionals, authorities, and policymakers.

This book is part of a trilogy in the ‘Building Better – Less – Different’ series. This first volume is a collection of articles and case studies by Felix Heisel, Dirk Hebel, Ken Webster, and 21 other authors. The contributors include an international team of researchers, seasoned veterans of sustainable construction and leading design companies. This diversity is an asset. Thus, the reader should approach the book as a collection of writings in distinctive styles and varying focuses, rather than a monograph. Indeed, the overlapping collage of concise texts and illustrated case studies can be opened from any part. In addition to being a practical source of inspiration for offices and libraries, the book also works as a perfect treat for any coffee table.

‘Circular construction and circular economy’ focuses on the resource aspect of construction and architecture, but also covers the fundamentals of circular economy and includes inspiring commentaries. Plenty of illustrations and photos complement the approaches described in the chapters. The book begins with a retrospective of the evolution of the key concepts that preceded the circular economy and complements the historical view with description and definition of the main topics and concepts included in the book. Then, the overall narrative follows the suggestions of building ‘better,’ ‘less,’ and ‘different,’ which are the viewpoints of the three main sections of the opus. These suggestions – also known as efficiency, sufficiency, and consistency – are described from both theoretical and practical viewpoints. Each of the sections includes case studies that range from buildings and products to demolition works, material management and policies. Even though the presented projects describe the legally viable solutions of certain states in the USA and Central Europe, they offer inspiration for any reader.

There are 14 case studies in the book, and their diversity is delightful. Readers are introduced to examples of coordinated disassembly and the evolution of its profitability, urban mining, ways of managing reused materials, digital material passports, cooling as a service, etc. Traditional studies on buildings and building products offer benchmarks for both designers and clients that exceed the everyday sustainability requirements. The summarising case study of the Urban Mining and Recycling (UMAR) experimental unit in Dübendorf, Switzerland presents a respectable collection of features that tick all the boxes of better, less and different.

The diversity of authors, topics and case studies makes this book relevant for a much wider range of professionals than just building designers. Builders and demolition professionals, building inspectors, product developers, as well as municipal authorities and policy makers may find references and information for taking necessary steps ahead in the path of circularity.

Importantly, the book does not fall into the trap of viewing circular construction and economy only through rose-tinted glasses. Concerns and criticism are raised in the commentaries that accompany the main sections of the book. For example, can a circular service economy drift too far from the people? When promoting circular economy and services instead of ownership, should we be careful about what we wish for? The commentaries offer important reflections for the reader: if circular economy is the answer, what then was the initial question?

One key implication from the diverse contents of the book is that different actors of the construction value chain should both change their mindset and work together for achieving a greater level of circular economy. The key messages for building design are well argued and explained: greater attention to detail and life cycle thinking seem inevitable, if we are to depart from the linear path of today’s building practices.

The takeaways for project managers, construction companies or demolition experts will emerge as synthesis of various case studies and presented strategies. However, money and time are usually the main bottlenecks that prevent pursuing greater quality – or circularity – in a building project. Strategies and examples of how to effectively execute circular principles through e.g. public procurement, innovative alliances, or design-build competitions are (supposedly and hopefully) left for the next volumes of the trilogy. The same applies to the difficult questions about how the resources of our finite planet should be shared in a fair manner – especially as the international community is becoming more divided and less capable of global agreements.

It is easy to agree with the key messages of the book. We should seriously consider the need of another building, or another demolition. The first volume of the trilogy rises hopeful expectations on the contents and relevance of the forthcoming volumes. Hopefully, they will help not only to convince the construction sector about the necessity of building better, less, and different, but also that the change needs to start from the project that you are working on right now.

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