Circular buildings in focus: A comprehensive analysis of knowledge trends, priorities, and insights through performance and visualization analysis

The construction industry is a primary sector in economic development, although it is often associated with resource depletion, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and waste generation. The circular building principles have potential transformative implications for these challenges. This study presents an inclusive analysis of the performance of international research trajectories and priorities for circular buildings on the basis of 217 publications from the Scopus database. The results show a steep rise in publications, impelled by growing awareness of climate change, effective resource use, and the economic benefits of circular practices. Western Europe dominated this field, with 193 publications (88.9 %). This analysis revealed prevailing themes, including lifecycle assessments, design-for-disassembly, the integration of recycled and biobased materials, and the employment of digital resources. Future research paths concentrate on increased cross-disciplinary collaboration, the need for greater geographic scope, and the advancement of policy and educational frameworks to foster the promotion of circular buildings concepts. Technologies including digital twins and artificial intelligence have been as well distinguished as basic for the conclusive use of resources and improvement in material reuse. Unexplored areas, such as the blending of circular building principles with renewable energy systems and climate-resilient design, warrant further research. • A global analysis of 217 circular building studies revealed contributors and trends. • Cross-disciplinary cooperation is required to move circular construction ahead. • Overcoming challenges like adoption of technology and data quality is imperative. • Future studies will emphasize the novel integration of renewable energy systems. • Research innovation in digital twins, and Artificial intelligence is a necessity.