SP5 Value preservation for circular practice

More than two-thirds of the Swiss building stock was erected after the 2nd half of the 20th century [81]. Today, those built between the 1950s and 2000 (about 60% of the stock) are often subject to renovation or replacement. They contain a large variety of industrially produced building parts that are hard to assess in terms of qualities and embodied energy [82]; yet they are highly relevant to the circular construction ecosystem [83]. Many were designed to use standardised prefabricated building elements (e.g. façades, windows, doors), innovative construction methods, incorporating new materials, products and systems, with adaptation-oriented concepts that can prove effective today [84]. SP5 will study examples from this stock as case studies to enable their effective integration into circular practice.

In SP5, we will develop methods for the systematic identification, documentation and value assessment of components, and related upgrade strategies by adapting the well established methods of monument preservation. The knowledge would extend the lifespan, improve the repairability (Reduce), and augment the reusability of relevant buildings and their components (Reuse). We will develop business models focusing on the improvement of existing components.

The work in SP5 will be fed by metrics and terminology developed in SPs 1 and 2, and will in turn inform the digital inventory tool in SP3 real-world data. The research on the historical development of components will support the development of a legal framework (SP2). The creation of repair and rehabilitation oriented business models will be supported by SP7.