When circular buildings go on air

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Barbara Ricco

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1478 Last modified by the author on 08/03/2019 - 23:13
When circular buildings go on air

A podcast featuring the European project HOUSEFUL and its commitment to make buildings more sustainable has been released

 

Circular economy is all over the place in the policy scene since the European Commission presented the Circular Economy Package in early 2018. But what does the term ‘circular economy’ actually mean, and what is the potential of the housing sector in delivering an eco-friendy future for our cities? Both questions were addressed in a podcast by Housing Europe, partner of the European Horizon 2020 HOUSEFUL project.

 

The podcast, titled “The life cycles of our homes”, is based on interviews with two keynote speakers. One is Theresa Heitzlhofer, communications manager at alchemia-nova, also member of HOUSEFUL. During the interview, Heitzlhofer offered an insight into one of HOUSEFUL’s demonstration cases, a centenary building located in Baumgartenstraße 93 in Vienna (Austria) and in need of substantial refurbishment. In that building, HOUSEFUL is demonstrating the feasibility of the circular solutions designed by the project to reduce energy demand and to recover water and nutrients from waste water and organic waste.

 

HOUSEFUL is a demonstration project, showing circular economy ideas inspired by nature-based solutions in the building sector” says Heitzlhofer. “Communication to people interested and involved in the building sector is crucial when the overall goal is to reduce material and energy use, waste and other related issues.” Heitzlhofer also stresses how HOUSEFUL encourages other projects and initiatives to get in touch and take a new look at the building sector to move towards a circular economy.

 

The other speaker is Gerard Van Bortel, Assistant Professor of Housing Management at Delft University of Technology. He explained the challenges that circular building adaptation brings for public cooperative and social housing providers, but also the multiple benefits linked with it. The podcast also features Lejerbo, member of the Danish organisation BL, which is building the world's first social housing unit after circular principles.

 

The podcast is the seventh episode from the series “Making a house a home” launched by Housing Europe. The series aims to present various perspectives into the work of public, cooperative and social housing providers across Europe. The whole list of podcasts released by Housing Europe is available at this link.

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