• Research into the environmental impact of housing
  • Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  • Transitieteam Circulaire Bouweconomie (RVO)
  • completed, 2021
  • 2018-CBD
  • Isabel Driessen, Margot Holländer/MOR
  • Thomas Wellink (RVO) and Menno Brouwer (RVO)
    Byline

Carbon-Based Design

How can we ensure that the 1,000,000 new homes that are needed in the Netherlands before 2030 exert as little pressure as possible on the already difficult-to-achieve climate targets? Even if all future homes are built according to the current agreements (BENG [nearly energy-neutral building], and 4% emission reduction in the industry), the CO2 budget for construction (under a 1.5-degree warming scenario) will be used in 2026 already.

As the construction sector, we are currently responsible for 38 % of all greenhouse gas emissions. The problem is definitely gaining momentum in the debate; however, the focus within our professional community seems mainly to be on single methods or materials - whereas the solution lies in an integral approach.

Carbon-Based Design is this approach. It provides insight into the CO2 cycle and what role the construction sector and the circular construction economy play in it. The focus is on embodied carbon (or material-related emissions during the production and construction process) in residential construction. By gaining insight into the construction process and which parts of it have the most impact on the total emissions, we can adjust our design and development strategy accordingly. The aim is clear: to design and realize buildings with the lowest possible CO2 emissions, or ideally even CO2 storage.

With a focus on the emissions of production and construction and the ratio of operational and embedded energy, we found solutions for the way from carbon exploitation to carbon sequestration.

You can download a full-resolution online version of the Carbon-Based Design report here.

  • Research into the environmental impact of housing
  • Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  • Transitieteam Circulaire Bouweconomie (RVO)
  • completed, 2021
  • 2018-CBD
  • Isabel Driessen, Margot Holländer/MOR
  • Thomas Wellink (RVO) and Menno Brouwer (RVO)
    Byline

Carbon-Based Design: The Report