The linear economy (or just the economy as non-economists call it) is characterised by the traditional “take-make-dispose” plan, where resources are collected (take), made into products (make) that are used until they are eventually thrown out (dispose). Adopters of circular thinking have cunningly started calling this plan the “take-make-waste” plan, to shine a light on the wastefulness of traditional economies – it doesn’t take a massive leap of logic to understand that we can’t take forever, this is where the circular economy comes in.

Architects can play an integral role in the roll-out of the circular economy (pun intended), as the design stages are when most of the important decisions are made – by making sustainable choices, architects can get the ball rolling from the onset.

Buildings incorporating circular thinking should be designed to be long lasting and easy to maintain, whilst taking account of the “6 Rs”: rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle & repair. From an architects viewpoint, those “6 Rs” might be crystallised to just 2 Rs – retrofitting and refurbishment, where old buildings are rethought, reused, repaired, waste is reduced, and components are recycled. Circular thinking at the design stages can reduce the amount of raw materials we take from the earth, the number of new products we need to be made, and the quantity of un-necessary waste we are committing to landfill annually.

As one of our 6 sustainable design principles, we strive to incorporate circular thinking into the design process for each and every project. From recycled floor tiles, to refurbished furniture, we are on a mission to transition our business model toward a circular future. More details below: