Driving circular renovation together

Since our project kickoff in October 2019, we have been working tirelessly to accelerate deep renovation processes and slowly transform the market. One of the key learnings from the first generation of Horizon 2020 deep renovation projects is that the transformation must be focused on the end-user. That's why our goal is to make renovation more consumer-centered and locally-based to ensure a successful transition to a sustainable future.

As we move into the final year of the DRIVE 0 project, we are proud of the progress we have made towards decarbonising the EU building stock. With our focus on improving consumer-oriented circular renovation processes, we are confident that we can make thorough renovation more environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and attractive to consumers and investors.

To know more about our latest activities, read the news below. 

A few months ago we installed our mock-up of a circular prefab facade at Brightlands Chemelot Campus (The Netherldands). This mock-up is an essential part of the Drive 0 innovation, as “we can test how the developed materials actually work. The circular design is still theoretical for now, and some things will always deviate in practice from what they are on paper. The facade is divided up into three parts with different layers, each with its own specific properties. One is more circular than the other, and they will react differently to different circumstances. It’s also good for housing associations to see what the different variants look like,” says Drive 0 partner John van Oorschot - Zuyd University of Applied Sciences. We also had the chance to run interviews some of the Drive 0 partners and collaborators on the importance of mock-ups, which you can find here.

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With an insufficient rate of existing building renovation, there is need to step up the pace of building renovation to achieve European Union climate goals for 2050. Industrialisation and related technological innovations, such as Zero Energy Renovation Kits, are at the core of boosting the Renovation Wave. This positioning paper reports on the results of a workshop at the Sustainable Places 2021 Conference by Drive 0 and five more H2020 projects, assessing the challenges and barriers to developing, adopting and/or implementing Zero Energy Renovation Kits.
Our position paper has been featured on BuildUP and the European Circular Economy Stakelholder Platform.

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Over the past few months, we launched the contest Circular Homes aiming at original ideas that promote circularity in daily life. The participants in the contest were required to submit a short video explaining their circular ideas. These videos showcased creative solutions for reducing or avoiding the use of non-renewable resources in the home, such as upcycling old furniture or reducing energy consumption.

The initiative had two categories – one for students and another for the general public – with two different prizes for each category. Find out the winners on our website.

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The Drive 0 team is glad to invite you to the “Circular Talks”, a series of 3 webinars tailormade for the professionals involved in the renovation process of the EU building stock: architects, academic researchers and students, private property owners, building managers, social housing companies and federations. 
The 1st webinar will explore how architects can incorporate circular principles into their design process, acknowledging the Drive 0 Circular Business Models (CBMs) and implementing them in their professional practice. Further information and registration link can be found here.
The webinars will run on the BuildUP platform and will be coordinated by several partners of the DRIVE 0 Consortium: UNIBO – University of Bologna (DA – Department of Architecture and DSE – Department of Economics), UIPI – International Union of Property Owners, HE – Housing Europe, and ACE – Architects’ Council of Europe. 

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The Transition Pathway for Construction, a policy report outlining a vision for a more resilient, competitive, greener, and digitally advanced construction ecosystem, has been recently published by the European Commission. The document includes relevant policy initiatives and recommendations for action at the EU and national levels, as well as by the industry, resulted from a co-creation effort that began in 2021. The report invites Member States, industry, and other stakeholders to submit additional commitments that align with the pathway, and emphasizes the importance of collaboration in achieving the goals outlined.

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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 841850.