Circular architecture

Children’s Center Middenwaard in Amstelveen was designed with the underlying idea that the building is part of the surrounding greenery; The building and the outdoor areas fit together well, together they form one whole. The new children’s center, which houses a school, daycare and gymnasium, has been kept as compact as possible, leaving more space for the outdoors. The design is elongated, with a narrower section in the middle, which leaves space outside for the line of sight from east to west; this allows the surrounding greenery to continue well. On the east side, the building shifts slightly to the north and on the west side to the south. This creates a playful shape that fits in perfectly with the surroundings and provide... More

At the Limburg DC Bouwcampus 2.0 in Diepenbeek, a modular parking building designed by Jaspers-Eyers Architects in collaboration with Democo applies circular construction principles to a functional typology. The structure integrates modularity, disassembly, and traceability to support long-term adaptability. Scalable and adaptable designThe structure is based on a modular system, allowing for expansion up to 500 parking spaces. Its design enables future repurposing or relocation, aligning with flexibility goals from the outset. POM Limburg Detachable timber façadeThe facade is composed of ThermoWood® pine slats from LDCwood, installed as detachable elements intended for reuse. The material is thermally modified for improve... More

The NICE Tower, an impressive 140-meter-tall structure made entirely of wood, represents the next step in the revolution of circular timber high-rise construction. The tower derives its stability from wooden bracing in the façade and a wooden elevator core, is fully bio-based, and is entirely free of concrete from the ground floor to the lift core and supporting structure. This drastically reduces CO₂ emissions compared to traditional concrete buildings and helps combat global warming. The building offers a sustainable and inclusive residential program in response to the increasing pressure on urban space. Its stepped design, featuring communal rooftop terraces, fosters social interaction, while the nature-inclusive design contribut... More

In the centre of Zurich, Switzerland, a prefabricated three-storey wooden building is providing a temporary sports facility for the University of Zurich (UZH). Designed by Swiss architectural practice Itten+Brechbühl AG (IB), the Sporthallenprovisorium Gloriarank (temporary sports hall Gloriarank) has a scheduled lifespan of ten years. The utilitarian building exudes warmth, its elegant appearance blending seamlessly into the urban fabric. Completed in 2022 and located in the Gloriarank area of UZH, the building will serve as an interim solution during the development of Forum UZH, a new education and research centre. To complete the Forum project, it was necessary to remove UZH’s existing sports halls. A significant part o... More

Stuttgart-based Herrmann+Bosch Architekten has designed a wooden parking garage in the German town of Wendlingen that can be converted into residential or office accommodation in the future. The 10,880-square-metre parking garage sits on a pedestrian axis between the newly planned Otto Quarter and Wendlingen train station. Otto is a new mixed-use and climate-friendly urban quarter being built on the former 19th century Otto Textil GmbH mill buildings. Roland Halbe Roland Halbe   Promoting environmentally-friendly mobility The wooden parking garage has 349 parking spaces across five levels. The structure’s design promotes environmentally-friendly mobility, with its location near the train station. There are e-charging... More

The new eye clinic in Wiener Neustadt shows how functional design can work with natural materials. Glass partitions from the LESA range, with veneered profiles and clay panels, fit naturally into the overall design, creating a healthy and calming environment. Matej Hakar Matej Hakar The clinic moved from an older location to a multifunctional center near the train station to better meet patient needs. The layout allows smooth movement from the reception to waiting rooms, doctors’ offices, and examination rooms. The rooms are divided by LESA glass partitions with veneered profiles. Wooden veneered doors add to the natural look. In smaller rooms, walls do not reach the ceiling, removing the need for a top door frame and... More

UNIQUE WOODEN LABORATORY BUILDING REALISED WITH THE FIRST APPLICATION OF PRETTY PLASTIC’S NEW BASIC THIRD TILES: Plus Ultra III will be a future-proof building offering some 7,600 m2 of space for laboratories, pilot plants, and offices. As the construction is made almost entirely of wood (CLT), the building is at the forefront of sustainability. One cubic metre of wood stores around 1 tonne of CO2; during the production of CLT, around 150 kilograms of CO2 are released. This creates a CO2-negative construction. Proof of the Sum The façade tiles are especially designed for Plus Ultra III in collaboration with the architects from Proof of the Sum. The ‘Basic Third’ tiles can be easily installed on the underlyin... More

Located along the serene coastline, the Whitburn Coastal Conservation Centre stands as a symbol of sustainable architecture.  https://www.graeme-peacock.com/ https://www.graeme-peacock.com/ Covering more than 160 square meters, this innovative structure is constructed with Pretty Plastic's First One tiles. Crafted from 100% recycled PVC plastic, these tiles offer both durability and visual allure while championing the preservation of our planet's natural resources.  https://www.graeme-peacock.com/ MawsonKerr Architects, in collaboration with contractor Arcas, brought this vision to life, with a total of 3,896 kilograms of waste upcycled in the process. Together they designed and built a centre where the different... More

THE TONGELREEP: INNOVATION IN CIRCULAR ARCHITECTURE For the renovation of the Tongelreep, a national swimming centre and an iconic building in Eindhoven, the choice fell on Pretty Plastic due to its sustainability, aesthetic versatility, and local character of the product. Slangen+Koenis Architects, responsible for the design, believed in the potential of Pretty Plastic from the outset. The start-up collaborated smoothly with the Municipality of Eindhoven and contractor Mertens Bouwbedrijf to ensure the project maintained its circular character. https://www.maarten.photos/ https://www.maarten.photos/ The façade concept for the Tongelreep seamlessly aligns with the existing swimming stadium, featuring a robust anthracite b... More

TerraTimber introduces an innovative method for the digital upcycling of waste wood to create circular construction systems enabling the sustainable transformation of reclaimed materials into structural elements. DDF_dos_KIT This approach utilizes computational tools and Augmented Reality (AR) fabrication processes to manage the complexity of diverse, non-standard waste wood materials. Starting from the generation of digital inventories through image processing, the wood pieces are then computationally assembled into large structural elements, which are finally physically assembled with nails made of wood and with the aid of AR. Earth is integrated to form a hybrid material system, enabling the construction of sustainable floor slabs... More