In the heart of Montréal, a groundbreaking study is reshaping how we think about construction waste and the circular economy. Rafaela Orenga Panizza, a researcher from Concordia University’s Department of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, has developed a framework that could significantly impact the construction industry’s approach to material reuse and waste management. Published in the journal *Designs* (which translates to *Patterns* in English), this research offers a promising path towards more sustainable urban development.
The construction industry is notorious for its substantial consumption of raw materials and its considerable contribution to global waste. In Canada, the construction, renovation, and demolition (CRD) sector diverts only 16% of its waste from landfills, highlighting the urgent need for circular economy (CE) practices. Panizza’s study addresses this challenge head-on by developing a generalizable and reproducible framework for archetype identification to support CE strategies.
Panizza’s research focuses on Montréal, Canada’s second-largest city, where she defines a new set of exterior shell archetypes for low-rise residential buildings. These archetypes enable systematic estimation of material and component stocks, as well as end-of-life recovery flows, across a representative sample of buildings in the Mercier–Hochelaga–Maisonneuve district. “By prioritizing reuse, we can nearly double material recovery compared to conventional sorting and recycling,” Panizza explains. This finding underscores the potential for significant commercial impacts in the energy sector, where material efficiency and waste reduction are increasingly critical.
The study’s neighborhood-scale case study demonstrates the practical application of these archetypes, providing a scalable approach for urban circularity. Panizza’s framework integrates component-level data into reuse strategy assessment, advancing engineering design for circular systems. “This research is not just about reducing waste; it’s about creating a more sustainable and efficient construction industry,” Panizza adds.
The implications of this research are far-reaching. By adopting circular economy practices, the construction industry can reduce its environmental footprint, lower costs, and create new business opportunities. For the energy sector, this means a more sustainable supply chain and reduced reliance on raw materials. As cities around the world grapple with waste management and sustainability challenges, Panizza’s framework offers a promising solution.
This study is a significant step towards a more circular construction industry. By providing a systematic approach to material and component stock assessment, Panizza’s research paves the way for more sustainable urban development. As the construction industry continues to evolve, the insights from this study will be invaluable in shaping future developments and driving innovation in the field.