Travis Perkins has collaborated with a team of designers on a revolutionary new method of construction where materials are sourced, built then recycled and reused as part of a continuing process aimed at improving quality of living in the future.
The company partnered with ARUP – an independent firm of designers, planners, engineers, consultants and technical specialists – alongside Frener & Reifer, BAM and The Built Environment at this year’s London Design Week.
Together they designed and developed a Circular Building prototype, which has allowed the partners to investigate how the circular economy can benefit the industry and the built environment.
The Circular Building tests the maturity of circular economy thinking in the supply chain and examines what it means for building design; asking questions that profoundly alter design and construction priorities, such as can we design a building where all of its components and materials can be re-used, re-manufactured or re-cycled?
Jez Cutler, head of environment at Travis Perkins, said: “The project provided Travis Perkins with a unique opportunity to understand what distribution challenges exist in a circular economy for example, in routine building materials like timber cladding and flooring joists.
“We supplied the new material and once the event had come to a close, the house was disassembled and we took all the materials back. This was followed by an examination of the condition, its presentation and value before determining possible reuse or recovery options. Distributors have a crucial role to play in the circular economy and it’s clear that strong collaborative linkages with solid supply chain support are essentials to a CE model.”
The London Design Festival is an annual event held to celebrate and promote London as the design capital of the world; and act as a gateway to the international creative community.
