Sharp points out that we use a lot of energy to make water, and a lot of water to make energy.

A pre-demolition audit of an existing building highlights reusable and recyclable materials.Where materials can be reused, these should be considered for reuse on the same or a local site, thereby reducing material miles and facilitating a more sustainable construction process.

Although the circular economy market is in its infancy, by considering material reuse during the earliest design stages we can help build that marketplace.In time, this market will help to further reduce material costs..Following through the circular economy idea to the end of a building’s life, simple design choices allow new materials to be reused at that stage.

Using reversable joints for steelwork connections so that beams and columns can be disassembled in their primary form, allows them to be re-used rather than be melted down and recycled as a raw material.Intumescent paint has to be manually chipped off steelwork before it can be recycled or reused, so choosing to use boarding for fire protection is a better sustainable design choice.

These decisions have little cost impact when they are integrated into the building’s design, but can help create – and sustain – the circular economy..

Extending a building’s life, or giving it a second life through refurbishment, reduces the need to use yet more building materials for its replacement.Although it sounds like a straightforward task, in reality it presented some unexpectedly complex questions and issues to surmount.

What is a building?Is it the postal address?

The single address with three blocks in it?.Next came the question of how best to approach obtaining the information.