Operationalizing level(s) macro-objective 2 for residential renovation: a circularity assessment workflow in a collaborative digital platform

Purpose The practical implementation of the European level(s) framework, particularly Macro-Objective 2 (MO-2) on resource-efficient and circular material life cycles, remains challenging due to complex data requirements, limited availability of lifecycle information during early project stages and fragmented digital workflows. This study aims to develop and demonstrate a Building Information Modeling (BIM)-to-level(s) workflow for operationalizing the EU level(s) MO-2 indicators at the permit stage of residential renovation projects. The study specifically addresses the challenge of incomplete permit-stage information by integrating existing–proposed–delta analysis with an evidence-quality layer that makes the evidential basis and limitations of assessment outputs explicit. Design/methodology/approach A design science research approach was adopted to develop and demonstrate a proof-of-concept workflow using permit-stage Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) models of a Swedish residential renovation project. The workflow integrates IFC-based quantity extraction, semantic enrichment, material and product proxy information, existing–proposed–delta classification and level(s)-aligned calculations for Indicators 2.1–2.4. An author-defined Evidence Quality Score (EQS) was introduced to distinguish directly available information from interpreted, proxy-based and unavailable evidence. The resulting outputs were structured for conceptual integration within a collaborative digital platform (CDP). The workflow was assessed through internal consistency and traceability checks rather than independent expert, construction-stage or multi-project validation. Findings The case study demonstrates that permit-stage IFC information can support structured, preliminary assessment of all four level(s) MO-2 indicators when supplemented by controlled semantic enrichment and documented assumptions. The existing-proposed-delta logic enables retained, removed, modified and newly introduced elements to be distinguished, supporting more explicit identification of renovation-related material changes. The evidence-quality layer makes information gaps and proxy-dependent calculations visible and helps avoid presenting scenario-based estimates as verified construction-stage outcomes. However, the resulting quantities, circularity measures and evidence-quality scores should be interpreted as case-specific estimates rather than validated performance measurements. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to a single Swedish residential renovation case and uses permit-stage information that does not include verified demolition quantities, contractor waste records, complete as-built material inventories or construction-stage observations. The EQS is an author-defined heuristic measure and has not been independently validated through expert elicitation, inter-rater testing or empirical calibration. Similarly, CDP backend automation, automated data transfer and end-to-end execution have not been operationally demonstrated. Future research should therefore undertake multi-project validation, expert and user evaluation, comparison with manual and alternative BIM-based assessment methods and verification against construction-stage evidence. Practical implications The workflow has prospective relevance for architects, sustainability consultants, contractors and municipal authorities by providing a structured means of identifying material changes and information gaps during renovation planning. For municipal permitting, the evidence-quality layer could potentially help distinguish documented information from estimates and proxies and indicate where additional documentation or expert review may be required. However, the study does not demonstrate improved decision quality, permitting efficiency, economic benefits or regulatory effectiveness. The workflow should therefore be regarded as a methodological foundation for future digitally enabled circularity assessment rather than a practice-ready or regulatory-ready system. Originality/value The study contributes a manually defined BIM-to-Level(s) workflow that integrates existing-proposed-delta analysis with an EQS layer for permit-stage MO-2 assessment. The contribution is methodological and proof-of-concept in nature, providing transparent traceability between BIM evidence, semantic enrichment and level(s) assessment outputs while identifying information gaps requiring future validation and automation.