A literature review of measurement methods for building designs that enable higher-value resource recovery: the Circular Economy Potential framework

The construction sector is one of the largest contributors to the global use of raw materials and land, the production of waste, and the use of water and energy. Despite overall high consumption, some built structures are more sustainable than others; particularly, some contribute to the circular economy in construction, supporting repeated use of construction resources in various forms (as buildings, systems, components, or materials). It is a reasonable assumption that the way in which built structures have been configured (i.e. designed and put together) influences the potential to circulate resources embedded in construction. However, which configurations influence this potential, and which methods exist to measure this influence, remains unclear. This paper presents a review of existing quantitative methods to measure configurations that influence circular economy potential. We identified a significant level of fragmentation in this niche area of study. There is a broad range of design and construction strategies that aim to reduce waste or increase reuse, which are often interrelated and poorly defined. The measurement methods we set out to review are tied to such strategies rather than to resource recovery outcomes relevant to the circular economy. In addition, there are no general frameworks linking requirements enabling higher-value resource recovery in built assets (i.e. building, system, component, material) and measurement methods that quantify the extent to which a built asset supports those requirements. To address this fragmentation, our paper provides a structured view of the literature by proposing a Circular Economy Potential framework that aligns design strategies, tiers of built assets, and circular economy resource flows. We then identify gaps in the literature and discuss opportunities and limitations towards a more holistic approach to quantifying a built asset’s circular economy potential. This will serve as a foundation for developing a measurement method and tool for circular economy potential moving forward.