Study
SustainabilityRecentStrong effect

Digitalization Accelerates Circularity in Social Housing Construction

Integrating digital technologies into social housing projects can significantly advance circular economy principles by improving material flow, enabling better tracking, and facilitating reuse.

Architecture and the Built Environment · 2023

01

Key Findings

  • 01Digital technologies are crucial enablers for implementing circular economy principles in social housing.
  • 02Material passports, supported by digital frameworks, are key to managing material data for reuse and recycling.
  • 03Digitalization can support circularity across the entire building lifecycle, from new builds to demolition.
02

Application

Design takeaway

Embrace digital platforms and data management systems, such as material passports, to track and facilitate the reuse of materials throughout the building lifecycle.

How to apply

When designing new buildings or planning renovations, consider implementing a digital material passport system to record all materials used, their properties, and potential for future reuse or recycling.

Project actions

  • 01Consider how digital tools can support the circularity of your design project.
  • 02Research existing digital platforms for material tracking or building information modeling (BIM).
03

Method & Evidence

AimHow can digital technologies be integrated into social housing practices to effectively implement circular economy principles?
MethodCase study and framework development
ProcedureThe research examined the implementation of circular economy principles in Dutch social housing organizations, developed a Circular Digital Built Environment Framework, identified enabling digital technologies, and explored their real-world applications in various construction phases.
ContextSocial housing construction and the broader built environment sector.

Variables

IVIntegration of digital technologies
DVImplementation of circular economy principles (narrow, slow, close, regenerate)
CV["Social housing context","Building lifecycle phases"]
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Provides a comprehensive framework for digitalizing circularity in construction.
  • +Examines real-world applications, offering practical insights.

Limitations

The effectiveness of digital tools depends on widespread adoption and interoperability between different systems, which can be a significant hurdle.

Reliability & validity

The study's findings are likely reliable due to its framework development and case study approach. Validity is supported by exploring real-world applications, though generalizability may be limited by the specific context.

Think critically

To what extent can digital solutions alone drive circularity, or are fundamental shifts in business models and regulations also necessary?

05

Design Principles

"Digital integration is a prerequisite for scalable circularity in the built environment."

The construction industry is a major consumer of resources and generator of waste. By leveraging digital tools, designers and engineers can move towards more sustainable practices, reducing environmental impact and creating more resilient built environments.

06

What This Means for Your Design

Using computers and digital tools can help make building projects more sustainable by making it easier to reuse materials and reduce waste.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Reference this study when discussing the role of technology in achieving sustainability goals in your design project.
  • 2.Use the concept of material passports as an example of digital innovation for circularity.
07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

(2023). Towards a circular building industry through digitalisation. Architecture and the Built Environment. https://doi.org/10.59490/abe.2023.22.7284 Retrieved from https://designdex.org/study/cd662c05-86b9-43d7-908e-e28be235e8a2/digitalization-accelerates-circularity-in-social-housing-construction

Paragraph starter

The integration of digital technologies, as explored by Çetin (2023), is crucial for advancing circular economy principles within the building industry. Specifically, the development and implementation of digital frameworks and tools like material passports can significantly enhance material tracking, reuse, and recycling, thereby reducing waste and resource depletion in social housing and beyond.

09

Source

Architecture and the Built Environment

Towards a circular building industry through digitalisation

journal · 2023

View source

Questions about this research

What does the research say about digitalization accelerates circularity in social housing construction?
Embrace digital platforms and data management systems, such as material passports, to track and facilitate the reuse of materials throughout the building lifecycle. Evidence: Architecture and the Built Environment (2023).
Why does "Digitalization Accelerates Circularity in Social Housing Construction" matter for design?
The construction industry is a major consumer of resources and generator of waste. By leveraging digital tools, designers and engineers can move towards more sustainable practices, reducing environmental impact and creating more resilient built environments.
How can designers apply this research?
Embrace digital platforms and data management systems, such as material passports, to track and facilitate the reuse of materials throughout the building lifecycle.
What were the main findings?
Digital technologies are crucial enablers for implementing circular economy principles in social housing.. Material passports, supported by digital frameworks, are key to managing material data for reuse and recycling.. Digitalization can support circularity across the entire building lifecycle, from new builds to demolition.
What research method was used?
Case study and framework development.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2023 journal from Architecture and the Built Environment.
What should I do differently in my next project?
When designing new buildings or planning renovations, consider implementing a digital material passport system to record all materials used, their properties, and potential for future reuse or recycling.
What are the limitations?
The study focused on Dutch social housing, and the applicability of findings to other contexts may vary. The adoption rate and maturity of digital technologies can differ significantly.
Is there evidence that social housing affects design outcomes?
Digital tools, particularly material passports, are essential for making circular economy practices feasible and effective in social housing construction, supporting resource management throughout a building's life. The construction industry is a major consumer of resources and generator of waste. By leveraging digital Source: Architecture and the Built Environment (2023).
Where does this housing construction research apply?
Social housing construction and the broader built environment sector. It sits within sustainability research on designdex.org.

Related research topics

social housing design research · evidence on social housing · does social housing improve design outcomes · housing construction studies for designers · social housing and housing construction findings · sustainability research evidence