Description
This report outlines how the introduction of circular design and construction strategies can influence the practice of Whole Building Life Cycle Assessments (WBLCA). Circular strategies are gaining momentum as a solution to meet sustainability targets and represent a departure from the conventional linear approach to building design and construction. Determining the impacts of buildings featuring these strategies thus requires the adjustment of standard approaches to WBLCA. This report is intended to help WBLCA practitioners in modelling and accounting for circular strategies. It thus begins with an overview of circular strategies and an overview of WBLCA practices, as well as a detailed explanation of the necessary considerations when studying the environmental impacts of buildings which integrate circularity. It can be used to inform both the process of straightforward impact accounting and the process of scenario-design for decision-making purposes at the design stage. The goal of the report is not to re-define circular economy or WBLCA principles, only to summarize and describe how they can be best applied in practice and accounted for based on current standards, guidelines, and research.