All rental properties in Drenthe must be built and renovated according to ‘circular’ principles by 2040: so says eight housing associations in the province.
According to RTV Drenthe, the associations will start with 70 ‘test’ homes, to learn exactly how to do that. They are looking for private companies who can create six sub-projects together. The purpose of the Proeftuin Drenthe Woont Circulair (Living Lab Drenthe Living Circular) is to make circular construction affordable, repeatable and scalable for corporations, so that it can then be rolled out on a wider scale.
What is circular construction?
“With circular construction the housing associations think about the reuse of materials and how to use them more carefully, so that also in long term there will be fewer resources wasted”, says director Jaap Boekholt of housing association De Volmacht.
For a successful implementation, the corporations call on professionals and private companies to come up with a powerful vision.
In a ‘circular’ system, materials are re-used as much as possible, making sure that the processes are simple and clean. The idea is that raw components and the products they make lose their value as slowly as possible: so products become harder-wearing, better for the environment, and better value for consumers.
Interest
“We do not yet know everything about sustainable and future-proof building. Everything we do know is not currently applied in the daily construction and renovation of social rental properties. We want to do this search together with market parties,” says Boekholt.
Market parties that are interested in the Living Lab Drenthe live circular can register via this website. It is intended that project will be launched in 2021.
