CBCI

Circular and bio-based construction

Construction is a large consumer of materials and is responsible for about 33% of total CO2 emissions. Currently, the components and materials used are often not adaptable during their life cycle. Nor are they made of renewable, bio-based materials. This is because most building projects are still designed in a linear way, which makes material reuse difficult. A transition from today's 'linear construction' to biobased, circular construction is necessary.

Integral approach

Achieving circular and bio-based construction requires an integrated approach in which processes, disciplines, companies and laws and regulations must be changed. This means that existing roles of stakeholders in the construction sector will change and new roles are needed. We are developing an approach within CBCI that ensures coherence between technical, legal and social aspects, and business models to enable bio-based and circular design and construction. The approach is that what we develop can then be made on an industrial scale.

Living labs, prototyping, and real life applications

Within the CBCI project, we ensure an effective learning experience and knowledge sharing by capturing and analysing all phases in the development processes, for instance through workshops, prototyping, living labs and real-life case studies.

Two real-life construction projects form the core of the CBCI project and these are the so-called living labs. The first living lab is the expansion of the GGZ clinic of the healthcare organisation Emergis in the province of Zeeland. The second is a new building project of the KU Leuven for the university campus in Ghent, Belgium.

Within the project, we are working with stakeholders and experts to develop façade elements that will not only be tested as prototypes in the lab, but also actually applied within the Living labs. Designing, testing and producing the prototypes will take place in labs in Belgium (WTCB), the Netherlands (SPARK Maker Space Lab) and the UK (BRE Centre for Innovative Construction Materials). These facilities enable our researchers to make use of state-of-the-art production techniques and research facilities. Materials included in the first rounds of testing include sheep's wool, wood, nabasco, metisse and grass.

Project results and exhibitions

Project outputs include several publications, short films, a practical guide and a feasibility study. All these will provide current and future construction professionals with inspiration and practical information they can use at every stage of their construction projects.

The project's learning outcomes and the materials developed will eventually come together in an exhibition organised at Kamp C in Westerlo, Belgium and in a mobile exhibition that will travel to different locations. To preserve the results of the project for the long term, a practical guide and supporting teaching materials for professionals and students are also being developed.

Publication: Five building blocks for circular bio-based building

The first publication within the project, the white paper "Five building blocks for successful circular biobased building initiatives", was published in November 2020. The five building blocks identified in this white paper are Affordable, Flexible, Passive, Integral, and Traditional Ownership. This practical white paper is available for free download in English, Dutch and French via the HBO-Kennisbank.

Contribute to a circular and bio-based construction sector!

Our research approach with a focus on design-based research is characterised by an iterative approach and the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders and experts. We organise workshops and meetings to learn more about all the different perspectives and try to engage project stakeholders in different ways and channels. You can now sign up for the CBCI newsletter to keep up to date with all CBCI activities. Want to get more involved in this project and find out how you can contribute? Then contact the project team at email hidden; JavaScript is required or directly through one of the project partners.

Support

The overall project has a duration of almost 4 years, until 30 September 2022. And a size of almost €7 million. CBCI is a project of Interreg 2 Seas 2014-2020. This is a European territorial cooperation programme. The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is one of the funders.

Kamp C receives €73,907.40 in co-financing from the Province of Antwerp for this project.