Demo buildings prove alternative construction is possible

Work has commenced at 2 pilot sites in Barcelona and Brussels as part of the European project RECONSTRUCT. The two resulting buildings will challenge conventional construction by integrating circularity throughout their lifecycle phases: design, material selection, assembly, and deconstruction.

The European co-funded Horizon project RECONSTRUCT will see the construction of two demonstration buildings in Barcelona and Brussels. The demos will highlight the real-world impact and economic viability of the project's innovative construction approaches; they will implement a full cycle of construction, transformation and deconstruction, while reusing or recycling excess components.

The Barcelona demo: an alternative model for concrete in collective housing

In Barcelona, a 41 m² one-story modular building will be installed outside Santa Perpètua de Mogoda Castle, on the outskirts of the city. Envisioned as a model for collective housing, this demo will demonstrate alternative solutions for cast-in-place concrete construction. As part of the experiment, the building will be deconstructed in early 2027, hosting group visits and open labs throughout its lifespan.

Both the building's rectangular foundation slab and vertical structure will be made of an on-site mix of Alkali Activated Cement-Based Concrete (AACC) and recycled aggregates. Façades will feature easy-to-disassemble precast AACC concrete panels reinforced with biobased composite bars (rather than steel), and the exterior will have dry laid paving stones, made of AACC and over 90% recycled aggregates. The in-situ components will be recycled in local industries, while the industrialised elements will be reused in other constructions.

"When designing a building, we must start considering its whole life cycle from the very beginning, from maintenance techniques to unexpected environmental costs. Only in this way will we be able to deconstruct it, and to reuse or recycle its materials, thereby fostering the decarbonisation and circularity of the whole construction sector" explains Laura Reus, Senior Environmental Consultant at Societat Orgànica, the sustainable building consultancy responsible for pilot design.

The Brussels demo: from demolition and recycling to prefabrication and reuse.

The Brussels demo, a two-storey 60 m² building, will be located on the innovation campus of Green Energy Park in Zellik, a key meeting point for researchers and industry professionals. This will help combine energy-saving strategies and circular economy solutions.

The building will feature a bioclimatic design to reduce energy use, employ fossil-free building services, and use prefabricated elements made from low-carbon AAC concrete, easy to adapt and reuse elsewhere. In the first phase of construction, manufacturer Holland Composites will provide prefabricated elements with a recycled PET foam core and a bio-resin shell to construct the building envelope. For the second phase, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) will develop an alkali-activated concrete panel with textile-reinforced concrete shells to replace the storey floor. No waste will be created during the replacement.

"In construction, concrete is a material with countless applications. However, it comes at a high environmental cost. As we move towards a circular construction sector, we will have to carefully consider how we build with this material. From now on, building with concrete should be as precious as building with gold" remarks Jeroen Poppe, Project Researcher at VUB Architectural Engineering.

RECONSTRUCT is an EU co-funded Horizon project running from June 2023 to May 2027. It involves 14 partners from 5 EU countries and the UK. RECONSTRUCT demo buildings aim to employ 50% virgin content; 80% reusable/recyclable content; nearly 100% locally available content; 0% construction and demolition waste to landfill, and a better material-to-surface ratio than conventional buildings.

Contacts:
Project coordinator:

Jose Lucas, ITeC, jlucas@itec.cat

Communication Managers:

Sofia Finzi, Project Management Officer, ICONS, sofia.finzi@icons.it

Chiara Locuratolo, Communication Officer, ICONS, chiara.locuratolo@icons.it

Website: Homepage—Reconstruct (reconstruct-project.eu)
Linkedin: Reconstruct EU project: Overview | LinkedIn
Facebook: Reconstruct EU project | Facebook

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