Share, preserve, adapt, rethink - A focused framework for circular economy

Abstract

The concept of circular economy has peaked in both popular and scientific discussion in the past few years. Notwithstanding, no specific definition for circularity in the context of existing buildings is available. This research details a framework of circular economy in the built environment, focusing on existing buildings. The paper employs a systematic literature review on circular economy within built environment. The majority of the reviewed articles date from 2016-2019, confirming the novelty of the research area. Based on the literature review, research on circular economy in the built environment has to date largely focused on designing to facilitate circularity in the future, or salvaging and recycling building materials for new construction. This paper suggests a literature-based framework comprising three complementary approaches to implementing circularity in the context of existing buildings: 1) Share; 2) Preserve; 3) Adapt, and; 4) Rethink. The transition toward a circular economy in the built environment requires structured approaches, like the one presented here. The presented framework allows researchers to expand their thinking on circularity in the built environment, while providing practitioners a selection of potential managerial approaches. The suggested circular approaches may be particularly useful for the longer-term strategy work of real estate owners and managers.