Working together to build circular knowledge

Circularity is no longer a trendy word. It is a necessity. Especially in the architecture sector, where every choice, from material to process, has a direct impact on our future. But how do you really give this concept a place in your organization, without it remaining a separate project or a one-time ambition? At our firm, we believe the power of circularity is in the collective: in building and sharing knowledge across the team and then applying it in projects so that they can make a real impact.

Starting internally is winning externally

I remember well our first internal professional afternoon on circularity. The question on the table was: what does circularity mean to you? Not an easy question, it quickly became apparent. Because circularity is not a checklist. It is broad, complex and sometimes contradictory.

I strive for the most circular projects possible. That requires not only technical knowledge or sustainable materials, but especially a culture in which circularity is widely supported. Not one expert who knows it all, but a team in which everyone’s talent and interest is utilized. After all, circularity is a broad concept: from material selection and reuse to process optimization and social value creation. Precisely because of this, there is always an angle within the team that suits someone and that is the basis of intrinsic motivation.

Together we began to explore: what suits who? Where do you get excited? Who likes to study biobased materials, who likes to learn about detachability, who likes to learn about circular regulations? By letting each team member work from his or her own strengths, not only knowledge grows, but also pleasure and trust. Because those who do what they are good at also dare to take new steps faster.

From gaining knowledge to sharing knowledge

In order for that knowledge to grow, we regularly organize internal professional afternoons. During these meetings, colleagues share their experiences, we examine new developments together, or we work on concrete cases. In small workshops we learn from and with each other. And just as important: we discover who we can turn to for which expertise.

Sometimes this happens automatically. Sometimes you run into challenges and you have to take a step back to move forward. For example, when drawing up materials passports, we noticed that theory and practice do not always match up immediately. The flexibility during design and the rigidity of the system clashed. But by discussing this together, we learn from each other and make better and better choices, both for the project and for the future.

Building trust collectively

We take this internal base into all our projects. And it is starting to show results. In projects such as ABN AMRO, dsm-firmenich, Bouwcampus 2.0, Agrico, PKN and the Cleanroom TU/e, we apply our circular knowledge, not only in the design, but also in the collaboration and process.

From the start of a project, I design from the Layers of Brand. In which the building is divided into different layers, each with its own lifespan and degree of adaptability. The project manager also takes this as the starting point for his Plan of Action and this allows our structural designer to also set up the detailing in a detachable way, without unnecessary additions. This results in an efficient and circular design which ultimately can also be expressed in figures, both financially and, for example, in a Building Circularity Index (BCI).

This not only grows our expertise, but also the trust of clients. By thinking circularly together, the sense of urgency grows. And with a shared sense of responsibility comes room for innovation.

It makes me proud to see how widely knowledge about circularity is now spread within our firm. From intern to director, from architect to project manager: everyone contributes in his or her own way. And it is precisely in this collective strength that the real change lies. Because only together can we really build a circular future.

Renze Evenhuis
Architect-director