Circular design
An overview of projects, products and exclusive articles about circular design
Sweco - WTC The Hague
For the new workplace of Sweco at WTC The Hague, Hal2 designed and realised a 1,100 m² office interior that does not merely reflect sustainability, it demonstrates it. The project marks a milestone: it is Hal2's first interior project to receive full BREEAM Excellent certification, covering not just the design and material choices, but the entire construction process, including waste management and CO₂ reduction in transport.
Stijn Poelstra
Stijn Poelstra
Sweco is a leading European engineering and architecture consultancy. Their new office needed to reflect those values spatially: a working environment that supports focus, collaboration and movement, while meeting the highest sustainability standards in the market.
Stijn... More
Product • By Greenarea • ALBUFERA
ALBUFERA
From the inspiration of a contemplative vision of the natural environment that surrounds us and the value of its cultural richness, Albufera evokes the silence from the top of a mountain, the reflections of the sun on the earth, the trill of birds flying at dawn, the aroma of the sea breeze, the taste of a good meal with the family, a leisurely stroll…The designer Rafa Ortega proposes an innovative line of biophilic tiles in which, through a process of creative experimentation, preserved lichen, 100% natural and maintenance-free, is fused in an artisanal way on panels of 100% recycled material from residual cellulose fibres. certified circular material.
Pieces of contemporary craftsmanship that propose an evolution of decorative cov... More
Project • By Zwarthout l Shou Sugi Ban • Nurseries
Primary school and childcare KC Meerdijk
Set within a green residential environment, this public building designed by RAU architects demonstrates how material performance and architectural expression can reinforce one another. The building’s monolithic appearance is defined by Yoroi; a deeply charred bamboo façade developed for projects where aesthetics, durability and certified fire safety are equally essential.
Powerful architectural identityThe façade creates a calm yet powerful architectural identity. Its dark, tactile surface allows the volume to merge naturally into the surrounding landscape, while the refined markings of the charred bamboo introduce depth, texture and subtle variation. Under changing daylight conditions, the carbonised surface develops... More
Circular Office Design for Valtech
Hal2, an interior design studio based in Eindhoven, has created a circular work environment for the Dutch office of global digital agency Valtech. The new Valtech office is located in Houtwerk 2, a mass timber building that is part of Campus Werkspoor in Utrecht’s Werkspoorkwartier district. Developed in a former industrial area, Campus Werkspoor is a creative business campus that offers sustainable workspaces, events, and community facilities.
Hal2
Hal2
Sustainable design and circular construction
Houtwerk 2 was designed by Dutch architectural studios buro werda and M. Architects. This highly sustainable timber structure was developed according to the principles of circular construction. Hal2’s interior and... More
News • Specification • 1 Jul 2024
10 office buildings that showcase demountable construction
Demountable buildings are important to fostering environmentally friendly and sustainable practices, and to driving circular design and construction. The concept of “design for disassembly” is increasingly finding favor among architects. The conventional demolition of a building is often harmful to the environment, releasing airborne contaminants, polluting water ecosystems, impacting biodiversity, consuming excessive amounts of energy through the use of heavy machinery and equipment, and disposing of materials in landfill sites. Design for disassembly promotes the recovery and reuse of materials, thereby minimizing waste and the embodied carbon emissions associated with new projects; from an economic perspective, rising materia... More
News • News • 24 Jun 2024
Unknown Works creates first exposed eucalyptus CLT structure: The Armadillo
London-based architecture and design studio Unknown Works has created the Armadillo, an experimental cross-laminated timber (CLT) pavilion for the 2024 London Festival of Architecture and Houghton Music & Arts Festival. The pavilion is the world’s first exposed eucalyptus CLT structure.
Henry Woide
Unknown Works
The Armadillo is a project that explores the connection between innovative timber construction and acoustic design, acting as both a stage and an amplifier for a natural, spatial sound experience. Unknown Works collaborated with a number of agencies to create the unique structure: CLT manufacturer Xilonor, CLT constructor ConstruktCLT, and Houghton Music & Arts Festival (the pavilion’s commissi... More
News • News • 14 Feb 2024
B-architecten designs a multifunctional sports complex with indoor cycling track in Flanders
Wielerdroom Heusden-Zolder is a multifunctional sports complex with a 250-meter indoor cycling track and central sports fields in Flanders, northeastern Belgium. At 16,000 square meters in size, the project was built on a former race track and is the result of a municipal competition won by Antwerp-based B-architecten in collaboration with local firm dbv architecten.
The building is designed to meet the shape of its trapezoidal and sloped site which forms part of a regional cycling network and walking routes through the surrounding forests. The pill-shaped structure is well-oriented with a clearly visible public front and a logistical rear. It also connects to the existing race track at its side.
B-architecten
The main cent... More
News • Innovations • 13 Feb 2024
MVRDV designs a coral-inspired 3D printed facade for Tiffany & Co. using recycled fishing nets
MVRDV has designed a unique coral-inspired 3D printed retail facade that uses ocean plastic for the Tiffany & Co. store in Singapore Changi Airport. Highlighting the heritage brand’s commitment to sustainability (including coral conservation), the facade was created in collaboration with Amsterdam-based Aectual, a company working with circular 3D printed materials, and Milan-based engineers BUROMILAN.
Courtesy of Tiffany&Co.
When developing the design for the 3D printed facade, MVRDV picked out several distinctive design attributes that are intrinsic to Tiffany’s identity and history. These range from “touches of Tiffany Blue® to the use of innovative materials, inspired by Louis Comfort Tiffany&... More
News • Innovations • 6 Feb 2024
Holcim and partners launch Phoenix, a pioneering and circular 3D printed concrete bridge
Swiss-based global building materials and aggregates company Holcim has launched Phoenix, a pioneering and circular 3D printed concrete bridge. Built in partnership with the Block Research Group (BRG) at the Institute of Technology in Architecture at ETH Zürich, Zaha Hadid Architects Computation and Design Group (ZHA CODE), and incremental3D, Phoenix demonstrates the interplay between low-carbon and circular technologies in infrastructural development.
Vincent Delesvaux
Launched at Holcim’s recently inaugurated innovation hub in Lyon, France, Phoenix demonstrates an approach to innovative and sustainable building solutions. The project is an evolution of Striatus, an earlier 3D printed concrete bridge developed by... More
News • News • 8 Jan 2023
TOPOS Design takes cues from a garden maze to create a spatial anecdote for Shanghai’s Mingsi House
Shanghai-based firm TOPOS Design unveils a series of stores for clothing line Mingsi using Borges’ script of the Garden of Forking Paths to create a spatial narrative extending the soft continuous curved area, producing a déjà vu-like garden labyrinth experience for various sites in different cities.
Voyager 21
Each Mingsi House is like a bonus to the one before it, a garden labyrinth tucked away in the city that together creates the spatial memory of the brand. The garden maze layout stands in contrast to conventional fashion retail, but it is the novelty that strikes as a design starting point. The primary component of Mingsi is nano paint, and the new streamlined design tries to incorporate restrained colour... More
News • News • 7 Dec 2022
Renovated Hines Seattle Headquarters sets a new paradigm for low-carbon and circular design
Recently completed by LMN Architects, the renovated Hines Seattle Headquarters sets a new paradigm for low carbon and circular design through meticulous carbon accounting and an inventive approach to the reuse of materials. Located on the 8th floor of Seattle’s historic Norton Building, the completed project achieved an estimated 65% carbon reduction compared to a typical remodel of an empty shell. 43% of this reduction comes from the salvage or reuse of existing materials—the remainder of the savings comes from the specification of low-carbon options.
Benjamin Benschneider
Collaborating with a broader team of local fabricators, vendors, contractors, and clients, the architects carefully searched for repurposed materia... More
News • News • 23 Aug 2022
Carmody Groarke creates a drum-like pavilion as a visual adjunct to Hamburg’s fruit market
Situated on the edge of Hamburg’s harbour district, the circular pavilion designed by Carmody Groarke, gives a new identity to the 1960s Grossmarkt. The 1078sqm structure comprises a ticket office and hospitality space for the temporary theatre constructed within the market building.
Johan Dehlin
The drum-shaped form of the pavilion allows for unobstructed access to the active market site and the continuous flow of lorries and people that use the facility. The structure’s low profile helps retain visual dialogue with the heritage market building housing the theatre.
Johan Dehlin
The distinctive shape of the pavilion, as one of the only available hospitality spaces on the expansive industrial site, marks t... More
News • News • 5 Nov 2021
Circular Pavilion by Studio ACTE demonstrates how circularity can create inspiring aesthetics
In the heart of a wild garden in Rotterdam, the Circular Pavilion by Studio ACTE is an experimental, temporary cabin. Expressing that circularity can be an inspiring aesthetic, each material is already reused and harvested from the local area and it is anticipated that the cabin itself will ultimately be recycled.
RubénDarioKleimeer
The architecture dialogues between mass, transparency, time and durability with each element and detail visible from inside and outside, offering a permanent dialogue with the garden.
RubénDarioKleimeer
The aesthetic of the rammed earth base emphasises the contrast between natural and artificial materials. It is the first time that rammed earth is been used in Rotterdam, an... More
News • News • 16 Oct 2020
Monumental Gare Maritime in Brussels is restored and reimagined
Neutelings Riedijk Architects in collaboration with Bureau Bouwtechnik have restored and reimagined the monumental Gare Maritime on the Tour & Taxis site in Brussels’ Kanaalzone as a lively city quarter encompassing office, retail, dining and leisure functions.
Filip Dujardin | © Neutelings Riedijk Architects
Dating back to the early 1900s, the site has functioned as a hub of multi-modal freight transport platforms, incorporating water, rail, and road. Mixed-use facility and urban regeneration specialists Extensa commissioned the revitalization project, which involved two core phases. First, the existing 280m long x 140m wide building and its’ distinctive supporting structure of riveted lattice g... More
Product • By Gispen • Turn office chair
Turn office chair
Gispen Turn distinguishes itself by its design and simplicity. The clever frame holds a single piece of netweave string to create a sleek design. The hybrid motion technology automatically adapts to the user’s weight and provides comfort and freedom of movement.
Turn is available in three versions: with a black, medium grey or a light grey frame. The star base hub is available in black or polished aluminium.
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