CIRCAT – Circular tender package for building services

Circularity in the construction sector mainly focuses on smart design and well-considered choices of materials. Designers focus on the adaptability of the plan and the demountability of building systems. The emphasis is on materials that can be recovered or recycled again at the end of their life cycle. Technical installations (HVAC, electricity, sanitary,…) still follow a mainly linear economic model. In order to embed the circular model in the construction process, it is important that the circular approach is stimulated in all its facets. Especially in the field of technical installations, because they are an essential part of every building. In addition, installations are maintenance-sensitive and need to be replaced more frequently compared to other building layers. As a result, they offer enormous potential for even more efficient use of raw materials and materials.

The objective of CIRCAT, uniting a technical design team (study agency Boydens), a research institution with broad expertise in the circular domain (EnergyVille/VITO), a progressive client (Revive) and a stakeholder group of industrial market players, is to develop and implement a package of tender evaluation criteria that stimulates circularity of building services without being dependent of specific manufacturers or products. First, a set of relevant circular design guidelines and parameters will be drafted based on a desk research on existing circularity principles, projects or building solutions. Followed by a translation to a quantitative package of tender evaluation criteria. The developed package will be tested in a case study to check the practicability and impact of the package.