Circular and Flexible Indoor Partitioning—A Design Conceptualization of Innovative Materials and Value Chains
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buildings Article Circular and Flexible Indoor Partitioning—A Design Conceptualization of Innovative Materials and Value Chains Bob Geldermans * , Martin Tenpierik and Peter Luscuere Department of Architectural Engineering + Technology, Delft University of Technology, 2628 BL Delft, The Netherlands * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +31-1527-840-94 Received: 1 July 2019; Accepted: 22 August 2019; Published: 26 August 2019 Abstract: This article sheds light on the materialization and operation of residential partitioning wall components in relation to circular and flexible performance. The hypothesis is twofold: (1) A stronger integration of materialization and operation aspects is indispensable in establishing sustainable value-models, and (2) recent innovations, concerning the reversibility of material connections, will help disrupting the status-quo in that respect. Attention is drawn to renewable natural fibre composites (NFC), reversible adhesives, and biodegradable insulation materials. After a background sketch regarding the notion of time, change, and material circularity in design and planning, the housing challenge in the Amsterdam metropolitan area (AMA, the Netherlands) is described. Next, a design conceptualization stage is introduced, informed by two methods and tools in particular: Circ-Flex assessment, and activity-based spatial material flow analysis. Results of the conceptualization stage are presented regarding materialization and operation, culminating in Circ-Flex partitioning components, more specifically: Side panels and insulation. It was found that NFC can tackle current issues relating, most prominently, to circularity performance. Associated modifications in the value-chain occur, above all, in raw material sourcing, manufacturing, reutilization logistics, and data-sharing. The outcomes are valid for multiple building components other than indoor partitioning, such as kitchens and furniture, but also insulation—and interior side-sheeting—of walls and roofs in energy-renovations. Keywords: circular economy; open building; flexible design; partitioning; natural fiber composites 1. Introduction This article departs from adaptability and flexibility as indicators of housing-quality, with respect to changing needs and requirements of the end-user. This relates to multi-family building structures that accommodate virtually endless flexibility in the individual home-unit infill. Although this notion has been adopted in architectural design and development, it has not delivered the anticipated practical, large scale results [1,2]. Also in the Netherlands, traditional housing design and building paradigms prevail, giving priority to generic-uniform- rather than specific-pluriform-design. The current traction in the Netherlands around the concept of circular building provides leverage for change in this respect [3]. Circular building (CB) and flexible building (FB) are essentially two sides of the same coin: Flexibility of the housing unit—specifically relating the infill—can accommodate a bespoke and up-to-date indoor materialization in line with the user requirements. This, in turn, opens up to new product supply and service models that serve a circular economy, integrating design, manufacturing, use, operation, and reutilization. In practice, however, integration of the latter three steps—use, operation and reutilization—is usually insufficiently secured due to engrained Buildings 2019, 9, 194; doi:10.3390/buildings9090194 www.mdpi.com/journal/buildings Buildings 2019, 9, 194 2 of 24 technical and organisational patterns, leading to underachieving value models [4,5]. This article aims to shedBuildings more 2019 light, 9, x onFOR the PEER materialization REVIEW and operation of partitioning wall components in2 relation of 24 to circular and flexible (Circ-Flex) performance, as introduced by Geldermans et al. [5]. The hypothesis is twofold:models (1)[4,5]. A This stronger article integrationaims to shed ofmore materialization light on the materialization and operation and aspectsoperation is of indispensable partitioning in wall components in relation to circular and flexible (Circ-Flex) performance, as introduced by establishing sustainable value-models, and (2) recent innovations concerning the reversibility of Geldermans et al. [5]. The hypothesis is twofold: (1) A stronger integration of materialization and material connections will help disrupting the status-quo in this respect. Particular attention is drawn operation aspects is indispensable in establishing sustainable value-models, and (2) recent to naturalinnovations fiber composites,concerning the reversible reversibility adhesives, of material and connections biodegradable will help insulation disruptingmaterials, the status-quo all with inherentin this renewability respect. Particular potential. attention Innovations is drawn in to this natural direction fiber maycomposites, lead to reversible a broadening adhesives, of the and product rangebiodegradable for partitioning insulation configurations, materials, all anticipating with inherent healthy, renewability circular, potentia and flexiblel. Innovations resource in systems.this The geographicaldirection may contextlead to a isbroadening the Netherlands, of the product in particular range for thepartitioning Amsterdam configurations, metropolitan anticipating area, based on itshealthy, articulated circular, ambitions and flexible regarding resource circular systems. economy The geographical implementation, context and is the the Netherlands, associated policiesin deployedparticular [6]. the Amsterdam metropolitan area, based on its articulated ambitions regarding circular Theeconomy structure implementation, of this paper and is the as follows.associated First, policies a background deployed [6]. sketch is provided with regard to the The structure of this paper is as follows. First, a background sketch is provided with regard to notion of time, change, and material circularity in design and planning. Second, the housing challenge the notion of time, change, and material circularity in design and planning. Second, the housing in the Amsterdam metropolitan area is described, as well as the way in which the concept of circularity challenge in the Amsterdam metropolitan area is described, as well as the way in which the concept has foundof circularity its way intohas found the municipal its way andinto regionalthe municipal policies. and Next, regional the designpolicies. conceptualization Next, the designstage is explained,conceptualization including stage two is methodsexplained, andincluding tools: two Circ-Flex methods assessment, and tools: Circ-Flex and Activity-based assessment, and spatial materialActivity-based flow analysis. spatial Subsequently, material flow resultsanalysis. of Subsequently, the conceptualization results of the stage conceptualization are presented regardingstage materializationare presented and regarding operation, materialization culminating inand a circular–flexibleoperation, culminating partitioning in a configurationcircular–flexible based on side-panelpartitioning and configuration insulation based innovations. on side-panel Finally, and the insulation results areinnovations. reflected Finally, upon from the results technical are and organisationalreflected upon vantage from points. technical Figure and1 visualises organisation theal methodological vantage points. structure. Figure 1 visualises the methodological structure. CONCEPTUALIZATION 3.1 CIRC-FLEX GUIDELINES 3.2 AS-MFA 5. RESULTS 4. FRAME OF REFERENCE 5.1 MATERIALIZATION 1. INTRODUCTION 4.1 PRECONDITIONS 5.2 SECONDARY RAW MATERIALS 6. DISCUSSION 2. BACKGROUND 4.2 REFERENCE 5.3 OVERVIEW DESIGN 5.4 OPERATIONAL VALUE CHAIN Figure 1. Figure 1.Methodological Methodological structure of of the the research. research. 2. Background 2. Background 2.1. Time, Change, and Circularity 2.1. Time, Change, and Circularity TheThe notion notion of timeof time in in architectural architectural design design and planning in in relation relation to toquality quality and andchange, change, is is capturedcaptured well well by the by ‘timelessthe ‘timeless way way of building,’of building,’ put pu forwardt forward by by Christopher Christopher Alexander in in the the 1970s 1970s [7]. Alexander’s[7]. Alexander’s ‘timeless ‘timeless way’ accommodatesway’ accommodates a quality a quality that that isessential is essential to to life life and and living, living, butbut cancan only be describedonly be described by its surrounding by its surrounding and constituent and constituen characteristics.t characteristics. Thus, Thus, Alexander describes describes it as it as a ‘qualitya ‘quality without without a name’ a name’ [7]. [7]. A similar A similar quality quality can can be be detecteddetected in in the the concept concept of open of open building, building, first first introducedintroduced by John by HabrakenJohn Habraken in the in early the 1960s, early relating1960s, relating to mass housingto mass [housing8]. Habraken [8]. Habraken distinguishes the structuraldistinguishes support the structural of a building support from of a thebuilding non-structural from the non-structural infill. The latter infill. isThe the latter domain is the of the domain of the end-user, and should be treated accordingly in associated design and end-user, and should be treated accordingly in associated design and decision-making. The crux being decision-making. The crux being that ever evolving individual patterns of living thrive when that everoptimally