Transforming aged education buildings through circular renovation: from a Multifaceted Case Study Analysis in the Netherlands

Background: In the building industry, the concept of the circular economy is gaining a lot of importance, as the construction industry has a very high environmental impact (operational and embodied, energy consumption, and related CO2eq emissions, material consumption, waste generation, etc) increasingly concerned with energy-saving and CO2 reduction during the construction and operation phases of buildings, i.e. reduction of raw materials and reduction of residues and waste. The Dutch government declared an ambitious goal: to have the building industry 100% circular by 2050. In this context, circular design and circular renovation play a crucial role in reaching the government’s goals.The research's goals: This research aims to explore how to optimize the energy efficiency and circular renovation associated with educational building renovations in the context of climate change. We aim to maximize the use of existing buildings and combine the following three strategies: First, to develop a transferable circular design strategy for educational building renovations. These include “circular design” to transform educational buildings (bio-based material design, reuse design, demountable design, etc). Second, to develop zero energy renovation strategies (investigations into building envelope improvements, HVAC and the integration of renewable energy sources, etc), and third, to develop architectural transformation for future learning environments (flexibility, adaptability, materiality, and programmatically diversity, etc).Methods: The research adopts a mixed-method qualitative approach comprising analysis of multiple-case studies to extend theoretical knowledge and framework by integrating strategies and measures from real-world cases. The selected cases are exemplary for implementing circular principles in the building or sustainable renovation. This research selects six building cases and analyzes and summarizes the circulation strategies of Matrix(by ir. S.J. Van Embden), Neuron(by ir. S.J. Van Embden), Floriade (by DP6), Circl (by de Architekten Cie), Echo(by UNStudio), and Emergis(by Emergis Living Lab).Results: This research will analyze and compare these building cases to analyze and summarize the circulation strategies of Matrix, Neuron, Floriade, Circl, Echo, and Emergis, and show results in diagrams. To inform design practices that not only enhance energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact but also contribute to creating educational spaces that are adaptable, sustainable, and conducive to diverse learning needs."