Issue#01—2022

Editorial: An important element in moving towards circular thinking and design will be the reuse of materials. Although the concept itself may not be new, its implementation needs to be integrated into our design philosophy going forward. The construction of K118 (page 4), with its concept of reuse as a fundamental design principal, acts as a possible exemplar project.

The new office building in Zurich applies circular principals within its core design philosophy which meant that the designers had to turn the normal planning design process on its head. The design for the building was governed by the availability of materials that could be reused. In this way the project was able to reduce CO2 emissions by 59% and also saved 494 t of primary materials. Admittedly, there is much work to be done in supply and codification that will provide confidence to the construction sector for material reuse. The advantages of galvanizing steel – durability, robustness and ease of inspection – enables steel to be easily reused over many lifecycles.

Flimwell Park (page 7), highlights a pioneering mixed use sustainable woodland development in East Sussex. The project was originally designed around timber with hot dip galvanized steel playing a minor complementary role. However, as the project progressed, galvanized steel began to play an increasingly important role. Not only did it complement the timber, but enabled a more efficient and safer solution.