Results in Engineering (Mar 2023)
Development of a Circular Building Lifecycle Framework: Inception to Circulation
Abstract
Circular Economy requires a closed-loop material cycle and seeks ways to apply circular principles. However, existing lifecycle approaches not only omit the early stages to observe such principles but fail to reflect the evolving nature of the building lifecycle. This study develops the first circular building lifecycle framework, namely Inception to Circulation, by (i) clarifying the R principles, (ii) differentiating lifecycle approaches, (iii) unifying fragmented building lifecycle stages, and (iv) integrating R principles with building lifecycle stages. The study found that most studies focused on three lifecycle stages (design, construction, operation), and no study covered all seven lifecycle stages as opposed to the proposed framework. The linear nature of the current building lifecycle is proven as most studies considered none of the R principles, in which 22 R principles were clarified into 14 R principles. Addressing such issues, a novel framework of seven stages (Inception, Feasibility & Planning, Design, Construction, Handover, Operation, and Circulation) is developed with R principles. The framework establishes a platform to facilitate industry stakeholder collaboration and guidance on applying R practices to the building lifecycle. The study made contributions by developing circular building lifecycle stages, exemplified R principle implementation, and a path for policymakers and industry professionals toward a circular transformation. The framework has the potential to be utilized by future studies to assess the circularity of building investments. Additionally, its multidirectional structure enables modifying different performance dimensions or metrics in line with stakeholder interest contributing to the collaborative platform needed for a circular economy.
