Sustainable buildings and products Circular Buildings

Circular Buildings

The transition towards the circular economy is gaining traction in the construction industry. Buildings should be more flexible and ready to fulfil multiple functions, so early demolition can be prevented. Thoughtfully applying circular design methods asks for a reconsideration of common practices in the sector, but can prolong the lifespan of buildings drastically.

Modular and flexible buildings

We aim to make our buildings as future-proof as possible: adaptable, designed for disassembly and easy to maintain, with a modular design that extends the building’s life span.

Our precast concrete elements are designed for disassembly

C-fast is our patented and innovative building system in precast concrete, with smart couplings for columns and prestressed floor slabs that are produced at C-concrete.

The major advantages of this system compared to the traditional methods are a much faster construction time and assembly (2 days per floor), lower construction costs, and a modular design that allows for later adaptations and disassembly.

C-fast is modular and barless. It can be used in both non-residential constructions as well as in buildings with mixed functions such as apartment buildings.

Avoiding fixed interior walls and providing high headrooms

This will allow for easier adaptations and repurposing of our buildings in the future, as the built-in flexibility can give a second or third life to buildings, without major demolitions.

Insulation and circular facades

With insulation not being embedded in sandwich panels, but tucked in structural liner trays, the insulation and the facade finishing can be disassembled and adapted if needed. This approach will increase the value and adaptability of our buildings in the long run.

We utilised mineral wool for insulation in our projects because it has a smaller environmental impact than PIR insulation. We’re currently looking into bio-based insulation materials, as we think this can be a solution to lower the embodied carbon of buildings even more.

Reuse of materials

Resources on the globe are not endless, and with so many existing buildings, it’s clear that we must find ways to conserve these resources. At Cordeel, we believe that buildings are material banks for the future. That’s why our goal is to create a material passport for every building with a BIM model by 2024.

Urban mining

Our ambition is to take advantage of every opportunity to dismantle materials before demolishing a building. We have several projects in the pipeline that we plan to utilise to ensure that any resources that hold value for us or other players in the market are salvaged rather than wasted. We believe material passports will play a key role in facilitating urban mining.

Managing our overstocks and returns

We also give a second life to materials that return from construction sites, which is another important source of materials for us. These materials may not have been used for their original purpose due to modified orders or excess inventory and, in the past, they would have been discarded. However, at the beginning of 2022, we established an internal platform to collect and offer these items to our fellow project leaders.

In 2023, we plan to adopt a unified approach to ensure that we use our resources in an efficient way without having to purchase new materials.

Collaboration

Without an adequate supply of reclaimed material, large-scale projects can’t happen. We recognize that there are several challenges involved in the reuse of materials, including logistical challenges and clients’ demands. However, we believe that these issues can be resolved, and we actively collaborate with various organisations and stakeholders to enhance our contribution. This includes partnering with material banks, municipalities and cities and other companies.

Case

Multi – a showcase project to reuse materials

We are proud to have contributed to the redevelopment of Multi, a landmark located in the heart of Brussels. Our construction team strived for a BREEAM Excellent certification for the renovation project completed in 2022, with a strong focus on utilising recovered materials.

To achieve this, we repurposed the original Belgian blue stone and the terrace was laid with 400 recovered granite tiles. Moreover, we incorporated 1,300 metres of aluminium profiles from the Brouckère tower into the balustrades and light fittings of the renovated tower.

Imtech was responsible for the technical installations, and we also reused sanitary equipment. C-wood built the entry hall desk from reclaimed material.

We were inspired by our customers Whitewood & Immobel’s ambitious vision for this project, which pushed us to prioritise the use of reclaimed materials and circular construction.

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Bio-based materials

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