Circular Trust Building (CTB) is now officially up and running! The consortium’s first transnational gathering took place on 16th - 17th January in Assen, The Netherlands. Having battled the wintery weather- and the inevitable consequences for travel - participants were warmly welcomed to Drenthe’s capital city for a balanced mix of project ambitions, inspirational speakers, stimulating study visits and more.
CTB kick-off: Partners introductions
Partner introductions
Besides diving deeper into the programme’s administrative aspects and important management musts, the first CTB meeting was also very much about getting to know each other and fine-tuning the partnership’s joint plans for the coming years. For this purpose, each organization developed a ‘dating profile’/partner poster which was used during an intensive round of introductions and more informal interactions, proving to be a valuable communication tool.
CTB project manager Martijn Warmerdam (for LB the Province of Drenthe) also tapped into the participants more creative talents with an exercise to illustrate that the CTB project is all about looking at the bigger picture - taking the whole construction chain into account rather than the individual parts.
Martijn then re-iterated the four critical success factors for circularity, re-use of materials and lower emissions identified by CTB partners, namely:
- Level of integration
- Organised trust
- Shared learning
- Common goals
“The project’s objective is,” he said, ”to accelerate the transition towards a circular construction sector by scaling solutions. We’ll use ‘back casting’ to integrate stakeholders on common goals, enable a framework for trust and improve necessary skills. In time, CTB will seal 7 regional Circular Deals, reducing the material footprint by at least 25%.”
CTB will seal 7 regional Circular Deals
City Architect for Groningen, Ben van der Meer presenting to the CTB audience
Inspirational keynote speech
At the end of the first day, keynote speaker Ben van der Meer (founder of ‘vector-i architects’) shared his experience and future-focused vision on the challenges and complex tasks we face during the transition towards increased circularity and carbon reduction. In recognition of his expertise and professional passion, Ben has just been voted City Architect for the Municipality of Groningen from 1st February 2024 – together with landscape architect Michiel Van Driessche (founder of Felixx Landscape Architects). His motivational presentation showed a strong emphasis on sustainability in the design and construction of many renowned projects in the region and was truly inspirational for our CTB audience.
Alco Otten explains the circular renovation of the Alfacollege building in Hoogeveen.
Touring impressive examples
On Day 2, CTB took a tour through Drenthe, visiting impressive examples of a circular approach to building. This included a visit to the Alfacollege - a technical college in Hoogeveen – where the school building has been renovated using 80% recycled materials. Alco Otten, Lecturer in Architecture and Ambassador for Circularity and Sustainability, guided the group through the building, explaining the re-design process and the motivation behind this exceptional project. “It was also great practical learning experience for students and, although some choices might be made differently in hindsight, we’re very proud of what has been achieved here,” he said.
CTB partners recieve a warm welcome at Tussenstation Bork
Frontrunners in recycling materials
The consortium also had a warm reception at Tussenstation Bork, a company that disassembles, recycles and trades in building materials. During our visit, spokesman Koen Rooseboom’s explained his role: "I'm here is to develop interest amongst contractors and encourage circularity in the sector. This is our core business as one of the frontrunners in circular construction materials. I’m convinced that there are bio-based or circular alternatives available for all materials needed in the sector.”
Bio-based building; CTB visits an innovative social housing project in Aalden.
Bio-based building
Last stop on our field trip – a construction site for social housing in Aalden where the architects from DAAD, together with local housing corporation Woonservice, are testing innovative, bio-based design and sustainable methods to achieve optimum carbon reduction. The four pre-fabricated homes currently being built are made almost exclusively with natural materials, such as wood, straw and woodfibre. Architect Martijn Prins shared knowledge and experience with the partners regarding this type of ecological building: “This project fits perfectly with the current transition. No chemical resources are used. In fact, almost all parts are decomposable and, although construction costs are still high in comparison to regular builds, the energy costs are almost negligible.” CTB partner Actium (another regional housing corporation) also has concrete plans regarding this alternative, future-proof building style.
CTB's first partner meeting was held at the old Provincial State Chamer, Drenthe.
Energizing first meeting
Following a final round of discussions and arrangements, the CTB kick-off came to a close as new storm clouds gathered. However, with bags of inspiration and To-Do list in hand, the energized consortium headed homewards after a very successful first meeting. Plans are already in place for our following knowledge exchange in Sweden!