Feature The circular economy

fi tting and luminaire as products, but as part of package with a guaranteed light level. While the Dutch are the undisputed leaders of the circular economy, London does have some excellent examples of best practice in the form of the temporary venues for the Olympics, where 99% of materials were reused or recycled. The potential benefi ts of a circular

approach to construction are many. Owners and occupants get a better building, and can spread the costs over the lifetime of the building. Manufacturers are incentivised to provide more effi cient, better quality products because they will be more durable and require less maintenance, and in return enjoy a more fruitful long-term relationship with clients and a reliable supply of raw materials.

Positive message From a contractor’s point of view, the circular economy is a more outward- facing, positive message than merely reducing waste, says Nitesh Magdani, director of sustainability at BAM Construct. “We wanted to create something that we could take forward to promote our company and what we can do for clients, rather than just being less bad. It’s one way to demonstrate that we’re not just going to give them the keys and move on, we want to make sure the building works. Contractors are really well placed to lead this because we make the agreements with the supply chain.” BAM was involved in a “circular” project in the Netherlands, at Brummen Town Hall, completed in March 2013 and designed by RAU Architects as a “raw materials depot”. The municipality asked for a temporary facility with a service life of 20 years, so the building is constructed of high-quality, reusable and renewable materials, largely prefabricated timber components which will be dismantled and returned to their manufacturers at the end of the building’s life. This did mean small but signifi cant changes to the design: “For example, the timber frame structural beams were designed to be an inch thicker than they needed to be,”

“Contractors are really well placed to lead this because we make the agreements with the supply chain” Nitesh Magdani, BAM Construct

20 | SEPTEMBER 2014 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

The merchandising shop at the Olympic Park in 2012 used KE Fibertec’s CradleVent product

CASE STUDY: THE CIRCULAR PRODUCT

One manufacturer that has embraced the circular economy is Danish company KE Fibertec, which makes fabric ventilation ducts. Its CradleVent product has been awarded the Cradle to Cradle certifi cation, developed by circular economy gurus William McDonough and Michael Braungart. The certifi cation covers the health impacts of materials on people and the environment, the potential for them to be reused safely, use of renewable energy, water stewardship and social fairness. “I do this of course to make a better

world, but also because I believe it can be very competitive,” says managing director Carsten Jespersen. “It’s very important to highlight that we are not a non-profi t or green organisation, we’re a purely commercial organisation and we believe there is a commercial outcome.” Unlike its competitors which import fabric from cheaper markets, KE Fibertec has its own weaving mill in Denmark. This has been harnessed for competitive advantage. “We already had a lot of low-hanging fruit, but even though we control the raw materials, you’d be surprised just how many small pieces each product contains,”

says Jespersen. “This is a system of components, so it’s not a simple product to certify, especially in a world where everyone wants tailor-made solutions.” Long term, Jespersen hopes to

certify his entire product range, but the process is time-consuming and expensive. Achieving certifi cation meant obtaining the content of each component from every one of KE Fibertec’s suppliers. “You have to know exactly what

kind of raw materials are used in the products down to 100 ppm, and to get that information from your sub-suppliers can be diffi cult,” says Jespersen. “Especially when you work with small wholesale companies or an importer from Asia, they don’t necessarily know where each component comes from or how its produced. We tend to stick to suppliers who are certifi ed, where we know exactly where the products are coming from, going right back to the manufacturing facility.” The answer, he believes, is simplifi cation: “We have to change. We need to have fewer suppliers or to change the design. In the western world, we overcomplicate things because we want the lowest price.”

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