[+] Building Reuse ‘Only Way to Meet Net Zero Targets’

The days of the take-make-waste economy are numbered. Circular design and building materials reuse is the future of the built environment, if you talk to Karolina Bäckman. The architect and circular design specialist, who is due to present at the ULI Australia Conference 2024, is working closely on some of the most innovative circular projects in the world with 3XN/GXN in Copenhagen, who were one of the leads on the Quay Quarter Tower project , and are working on the Sydney Fish Market project . “I believe reusing buildings and materials that are already in circulation is the only way to meet carbon neutral targets,” Bäckman says. “The majority of carbon related to building materials comes from the manufacturing process. Through circular economy and upcycling we try to make the most use of that already invested carbon creating new buildings and building components with a minimal carbon footprint.” Australia’s building demolition waste is the biggest contributor to the nation’s waste stream , recorded at about 25.1 million tonnes in 2020/21. But the nation’s circular economy could be worth a reported $2 trillion. As Federal Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek put it “every bit of rubbish that ends up in landfill is a missed opportunity to contribute to a circular economy”. ▲ Karolina Bäckman with a 3XN-designed CLT-framed hotel on a Danish island. It is a concept that is gaining momentum within the development industry, with Brisbane-bred Rhino Recycling leading the charge in the Sunshine State. The demolition waste recycling plant at Pinkenba is already absorbing and recycling demolition waste from Brisbane’s Dexus Waterfront Place project, and will take on the waste from the demolition of the flood-ravaged Toombul shopping centre. It could lift the state’s recycling rate from 68 to 75 per cent through the recovery and repurposing of about 97 per cent of construction waste fed into the plant. Bäckman says it’s not just about the climate argument. “Beyond carbon I believe there is much more a circular future can provide,” she says. “A circular economy for the built environment means less resource extraction, less pollution, and less damage to natural habitats. It also supports local economies and can influence social sustainability in cities through preservation of places, buildings and materials humans have put their energy into and created attachments to.” As a circular design specialist, Bäckman takes a long-term view on a building’s full life cycle, including end of life. “Our carbon strategy always starts with a primary focus on ‘using less stuff’ throughout the whole building life cycle. Within that we first look at how we can reuse existing buildings, as whole, or parts of them to reduce carbon related to sourcing new materials. “We then consider how we design the building with future circularity in mind. Here flexibility of the structure, facade and building services to envision alternative uses in the future is key to prolonging the lifespan of the building. ▲ The 3XN-designed Klimatorium climate centre in Denmark. “Design for disassembly is also a strategy we consider to ensure ease of maintenance and replacement of building components without creating waste.” They also promote the use of ‘building passports’ that make the future reuse of buildings and materials easier through the collection of key data on its reuse potential. “We often suggest focusing on the main items: structure and facade. “These are relatively straightforward to capture and generally accounts for about 75 per cent of upfront embodied carbon and 50 per cent in embodied carbon. “The main hurdle is to invest more time in investigating transformation potential and material reuse of our existing building stock. Developers and project teams should be encouraged to spend time on this in the beginning of projects as it can provide significant value through both carbon reductions and financial savings.” Current projections estimate that between now and 2060 across the world the equivalent of the city of Paris will be built each week. Just how we do that is of critical importance. And policy is starting to move with the times on this. Carbon calculation and reduction strategies in legislation are starting to gain more traction across many regions, according to Bäckman. “The EU recently agreed to require national roadmaps for whole life carbon limits of buildings by 2027 and whole life carbon declarations for all new buildings from 2028. “They are also suggesting to align national calculation methodologies from 2025, which would be a significant step for a consistent overview of carbon reporting and reduction strategies.” ▲ A render of part of the Sydney Fish Markets project. This is something Denmark has already implemented. In 2023 it became the first country in the world to have whole life carbon targets as part of its building legislation. “Now every project has to report their whole life carbon according to a set methodology and the target for building permit approval will be reduced every five years,” Bäckman says. “The building industry in Denmark is even pushing for steeper reduction targets to ensure it aligns to the Paris Agreement through an initiative called Reduction Roadmap.” Bäckman’s main focus is primarily in the UK at the moment, where planning regulations on low-carbon design and circular economy are rapidly evolving. She says the focus on redevelopment has enabled a growing materials exchange market in London. Up until two years ago materials such as steel beams, raised access floor and ceiling tiles were almost always sent for recycling or downcycling. Now the demand for these materials from reuse suppliers is so strong it is getting difficult to supply. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a circular economy could reduce global CO2 emissions from building materials by 38 per cent in 2050. It would reduce demand for resource extraction, steel, aluminium, cement and plastic. It could also make the sector more resilient to supply chain disruptions and price volatility of raw materials. “What we can see across all these reduction roadmaps is that we need to reuse more and plan for future reuse to be able to achieve these targets,” Bäckman says. “Only focusing on low carbon specification of materials will not get us there.” You are currently experiencing The Urban Developer Plus (TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals. Click here to learn more.

[+] Building Reuse ‘Only Way to Meet Net Zero Targets’

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