“Buildings should be constructed as ‘material stores’ and designed for re-assembly in the future”, according to leading Brighton architect and senior lecturer Duncan Baker-Brown. Baker-Brown is the architect behind the University of Brighton’s Waste House – the first built with thrown away materials – is calling on the construction industry to open its eyes to the benefits and savings from adopting a circular economic approach.

Writing in University Business, Baker-Brown, Senior Lecturer in the University’s School of Architecture and Design, says: “By designing products and buildings so that in one way or another they are a material resource for the future, and not simply thrown away (there is no ‘away’), large corporations can increase their investment opportunities whilst reducing the need for the natural environment to provide millions of tonnes of new raw material every year.”

But he concedes: “…there are barriers and challenges that need addressing before a fully-fledged circular economy can function properly.”

Read his ‘Responsible Futures and a circular economy article.