Statement of the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE) - Designing for a Circular Economy

An ambitious implementation of circular economy principles in the building and construction sectors requirestheinvolvement and collaboration of all stakeholders, from the construction materials and building components manufacturers to procurers, builders, users, building managers,recycling enterprises,etc.

 

Architects can play a key rolein this chain, as many decisions taken duringthe design phase have long-­lasting consequences on the environmental performance of a building, throughout its life-­cycle.

 

Designing and building in a circular manner requires us to acknowledge that a building is above all a support for life. Beyond optimising the use of resourcesfor their own stake, it is essential to seek to preserve and enhance the economic, social, environmental and cultural values that a place embodies for the end-­users, so that it can be usedfor the longest possible time.

 

The document represents the statement of the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE) concerning the topic of Circular Economy in the building sector, defined within the World Circular Economy Forum of the last 4-­5 June2019 in Helsinki.

 

It provides a series of policy reccomendations to support architects’ endeavours in the field of circular economy.

 

Finally, the statement, downloadable here, highlights a sets of value-­oriented actions for defining architectural solutions promoting circularity, based on different approaches: cultural, functional, tecnical and material.