Harris Associates: Driving Circular Construction
Published: 24/10/2024
What is the Circular Economy?
The Circular Economy is a system where materials never become waste.
Within construction, this means recycling or reusing materials and components. The idea is that instead of sending the steel, concrete, timber, masonry, façades and fit-out materials that are used within buildings to landfill after a single use, they are used over and over again, extracting value from them over a longer period.
The construction industry is increasingly pressured to adopt sustainable practices, and recent regulatory changes are accelerating this shift. In particular, the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) requirement for Circular Economy Statements as part of planning applications for larger developments is a significant step toward promoting material reuse over disposal. These statements require developers to demonstrate how their projects will minimise waste throughout a building's lifecycle, from construction through to demolition.
While this push for circular construction is a positive development, old habits die hard. The construction sector has long relied on traditional linear processes—extract, build, demolish, and dispose. However, Harris Associates, as building and project consultants, has an essential role to play in helping our clients meet these new regulatory demands while highlighting the many benefits that circularity brings. By shifting mindsets and implementing practical circular construction techniques, the industry can take a significant step towards sustainability. Here’s how we drive this change.
Adapting to Regulatory Requirements: Circular Economy Statements
The introduction of Circular Economy Statements by the GLA represents a pivotal moment for the construction industry in London and beyond. These statements mandate that developers outline how they will reduce raw material use, lower waste, and reuse materials throughout the lifecycle of the building.
We can help our clients meet these criteria by conducting pre-demolition audits, where we identify which building elements are suitable for reuse. By prioritising high-impact materials like steel, carpet tiles, ceiling tiles, and older bricks, we help our clients reduce waste and demonstrate clear, actionable steps toward circularity.
Steel and bricks can often be repurposed with minimal reprocessing, while elements like carpet tiles or ceiling tiles can be easily reclaimed and reused. Developers can significantly reduce waste by focusing on these high-value materials and meet GLA’s Circular Economy Statement requirements.
Material Reuse and Circular Design
Circularity begins with keeping materials in use for as long as possible. When involved at the start of a project, we can advise developers on designing buildings with flexibility and adaptability in mind, ensuring that components can be reused or remanufactured when a building reaches the end of its life. This requires careful planning from the outset to incorporate materials that are durable and easy to reclaim, remanufacture, or repurpose.
Design for Disassembly (DfD) is another crucial strategy. We can ensure that buildings are designed to be easily dismantled, allowing for the recovery and reuse of components at the end of their lifecycle. This not only supports circularity but can reduce demolition costs for developers in the future.
This approach is not only about meeting regulatory requirements but also about realising long-term value. A circular construction strategy can reduce the sector’s reliance on virgin materials by up to 35%, while also contributing to a 40% reduction in carbon emissions. These reductions are not only significant for the environment but can also represent substantial savings for developers over time.
The Benefits of Circular Construction: Statistics at a Glance
The potential for savings and environmental impact through circular construction is enormous. Some key statistics highlight the value of shifting to a circular model:
Reduced raw material use: Circular construction could reduce raw material consumption by up to 35% in the UK construction industry.
Lower carbon emissions: The sector could reduce its carbon emissions by 40%, simply by cutting its use of raw materials and adopting more sustainable building practices.
Waste reduction: In London, construction and demolition operations produce 2.7 metric tons of waste per worker, yet only 10% of that waste is recycled. Increasing the reuse and recycling rate could dramatically reduce the environmental impact of construction projects.
Increased productivity: A circular economy approach could boost resource productivity by 3% annually, ensuring more efficient use of materials.
Economic and job growth: By adopting circular practices, the UK could generate an additional £10bn in GVA and create up to 200,000 jobs by 2030.
Innovative Circular Technologies and Techniques
Technology plays a critical role in enabling circular construction. Building Information Modelling (BIM) and material passports provide detailed data on the materials used in a building, making it easier to track their lifecycle and determine how they can be reused. BIM systems can also help optimise material used during construction, minimising waste from the outset.
Circular Construction: Environmental and Economic Gains
The transition to circular construction can deliver substantial environmental and economic benefits. A report from Mace suggests that by saving 13.8 million tonnes of construction waste in Greater London alone, the industry could prevent over 11 million tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. This shows the scale of impact that circularity can have, both in terms of reducing waste and cutting carbon emissions.
As circular construction techniques become more mainstream, they offer a competitive edge to developers. Projects designed with sustainability in mind are likely to attract greater investment and tenant interest, especially as companies become more aware of their environmental responsibilities.
Barriers to Circularity
Today’s main barrier to circularity is cost. Dismantling a building carefully takes more time and requires better access and cranage. Current construction contracts don’t work with circularity. When contractors bid for a construction project where some material will be reused, but the exact amount will only be determined after demolition, they must add in a cost to cover the additional risk. However, if more planning authorities started requiring circularity statements, mindsets would be made to shift, and practical circular construction techniques would have to be implemented.
The push to net-zero emissions could also act against circularity as decarbonisation and circularity are assumed to be intrinsically linked however this is not the case. Embodied carbon that is lost or saved during demolition or dismantling doesn’t count towards the carbon output of new developments, measurement only begins when the building starts to be erected, meaning there is currently no incentive.
However, this is soon to change. The RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) second edition of its “Whole Life Carbon Assessments for the Built Environment” was published on 1st July and includes changes that mean the reuse of buildings and materials can be incentivised.
Building a Circular Future
The circular economy is no longer a theoretical ideal; it’s becoming a regulatory reality in places like London, where developers are now required to demonstrate their commitment to material reuse and waste reduction. For building and project consultants like us, it represents an exciting opportunity to lead the way in transforming the construction industry.
By supporting our clients in navigating new regulations, conducting pre-demolition audits, selecting sustainable materials, and implementing innovative circular technologies, we can help the sector achieve significant reductions in waste, carbon emissions, and resource consumption. The circular economy not only aligns with environmental goals but also promises economic benefits, including cost savings, job creation, and enhanced productivity.
If you would like to learn more about how we can help you drive circularity with your assets and projects, get in touch.