Almost a year ago, my colleague JOHAN BONNER approached me with the briefing of a new project.
We were commissioned as specialists in circular innovation to provide guidance and support in making a guide for the school committees, helping them make better and informed choices when it comes to sustainability, specifically when they're confronted with the need for renovation or construction of a new building.
My role has been to analyze various relevant cases and draw conclusions for further interpretation and knowledge sharing.
I feel somewhat proud and uplifted now seeing this book getting ready for printing—a huge leap forward compared to where we started.
In light of this approach, one of the strongest cases I'd like to share is the Alfa-college in Hoogeveen, Netherlands. This project exemplifies how circular economy principles can be embedded within architectural practice to create a truly circular building.
To summarize the factors that make this project a strong case, I'd like to highlight the following:
- Reuse: A considerable amount of in-house assets have been refurbished and reused.
- Low-impact materials: For the new material needs, those coming from - biobased and recycled sources have been prioritized.
- Future perspective: Plumbing and communications are designed to be accessible for future repairs.
- End-of-life strategy: After demolishing, materials can be recycled or reused.
Seems very impressive, but in real life, how do you plan and execute something like this?
Whose role is important and to what degree?
We've been lucky to find interesting preceding facts and situations before the renovation.
1) Two years before the project began, the director invited renowned architect and circular thought leader Thomas M. Rau to speak to students and the board.
2) This ignited a collective enthusiasm for sustainability among the entire team.
3)The director Jan Berend van der Wijk also sought assistance from a professional communication agency @DeMevrouwen Annet de Rooy
to craft a design brief—a foundational document detailing key desires.
4) This will shape the school's presence for the next 60 years.
5) Moreover, the school created a new space—a lab that's become a vibrant hub for innovation.
6) Here, motivated students collaborate with the project team on material research and sourcing—a remarkable example of community engagement.
7) Understanding that circularity exceeds engineering challenges, the school prioritized procurement strategies, opting for a best-value approach in tendering.
8) By forming cohesive teams and discussing material choices early on, they successfully implemented their strategies.
The result? A school that excels in environmental stewardship and inspires others to follow.
Interested in other cases?
We’ll come back with further updates when the book is published.
It was a pleasure to work with an interdisciplinary team, and meet Nele Samson from cuypers&Q architects, Antwerp during the research.
📕 De gids voor een circulaire scholenbouw: van ambitie tot implementatie en maatschappelijke integratie
👉 Circulariteit wordt vaak nog te oppervlakkig benaderd en gelabeld als te duur of te ambitieus. Bijgevolg wordt het zelden prioritair ingezet door opdrachtgevers en beleidsmakers waardoor het potentieel onuitgeput blijft en kansen blijven liggen.
Sofie Borré van cuypers&Q architects, Antwerp start tijdens haar lezing vanuit de vraagstelling: “Hoe kan het circulair potentieel binnen de scholenbouw optimaal ingezet worden?” Sofie Borré tracht met deze gids alle betrokken actoren in de tot stand-koming van een schoolgebouw en het onderhoud tot einde levensduur te sensibiliseren en te faciliteren in het kiezen voor circulaire en duurzame toepassingen. Deze gids resulteert uit een onderzoek, ondersteund door Vlaanderen Circulair met steun van VLAIO.
🚀 Een niet te missen lezing op Edubuild Summit!
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