Can Digital Matchmaking Boost Circular Construction? Lessons from Reusing the Glass of Centre Pompidou

Catherine De Wolf*, Sultan Cetin, Nancy Bocken

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterAcademic

Abstract

Digitalization is driving innovation towards a circular economy in various industries—but the construction industry is lagging behind. The building industry, a growth sector due to increasing urbanization, is at the same time actively depleting our resources, generating waste, and emitting greenhouse gases at a tremendous scale and speed. This chapter argues that we must urgently shift from a linear take–make–waste model to a circular one whereby we utilize our resources wisely and keep them from becoming waste. The experience of reusing the glass from the Centre Pompidou in Paris, France, confronted the architects with the many challenges we face when renovating a building with circular principles. Finding architects to use the iconic bent glass instead of crushing it for recycling (or worse, for disposing it in a landfill) turned out to be a time-consuming task. Adopting artificial intelligence and digital information sharing to match materials for reuse with people who can reuse them is exactly what the construction industry needs for a paradigm shift towards circularity.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationDesign for Rethinking Resources
Subtitle of host publicationProceedings of the UIA World Congress of Architects Copenhagen 2023
EditorsM.R. Thomsen, C. Ratti, M. Tamke
PublisherSpringer
Pages667-675
Number of pages9
VolumePart F2790
ISBN (Electronic)978-3-031-36554-6
ISBN (Print)978-3-031-36553-9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2024

Publication series

SeriesSustainable Development Goals Series
VolumePart F2790
ISSN2523-3084

Keywords

  • Centre Pompidou
  • Circular construction
  • Digital matchmaking
  • Reuse

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