South Holland Frontrunners Sign Manifesto for New Standard in Circular Construction Accelerating the circular building economy together in the province of South Holland
March 18, 2024
South Holland celebrates a milestone for the circular construction economy. Innovative leaders from the province gathered at NICE Developers Rotterdam to sign the New Normal manifesto.
The New Normal, which was previously launched nationwide on December 7, 2023, offers a clear language with achievable yet ambitious circular performance standards for the construction sector. The New Normal was initiated based on the demand from 6 major clients and 6 major contractors to create a unified language for circular construction. It was developed in collaboration with Cirkelstad, Alba Concepts, Copper8, Metabolic, Witteveen+Bos, and TU Delft. Over 100 clients and contractors from the construction sector – spread across the country – have already endorsed this initiative and signed the manifesto. Today was the moment for South Holland organizations to sign the manifesto.
Why a new normal?
To balance the construction challenge and the climate issue, construction and renovation must be approached differently. The New Normal provides tools to achieve this, serving as a framework for buildings, areas, and infrastructure. It makes circular construction clear and tangible.
“We must accelerate the transition to a circular society as quickly as possible to achieve our climate ambitions for both 2030 and 2050. We are committed to this, together with innovative companies, knowledge institutions, and innovator networks. An initiative like The New Normal provides construction companies with the guidance needed to achieve our shared goals.”
Meindert Stolk, Regional Minister for Economy and Innovation
The meeting in Rotterdam took place during the Week of the Circular Economy and was organized by Cirkelstad South Holland. Attendees first discussed circular construction and the implementation of The New Normal. It became clear that various projects demonstrate the feasibility of circular construction. And it was argued that this should be the only way of building. After all, who wouldn't want to live in a building with healthy, adaptable, and high-quality materials in a pleasant living environment? Building according to current building regulations is, according to some attendees, outdated. Time for a new normal!
The signing of the manifesto was followed by a tour of the construction site of the impressive project SAWA, the first fully circular wooden residential building in Rotterdam. By building with wood, SAWA contributes to CO2-reduction. Furthermore, by using dry ballast on the floors instead of concrete, all building components are demountable and the materials are reusable. In addition to its innovative construction method, SAWA distinguishes itself through its nature-inclusive design and inclusive housing program with affordable and healthy homes. With all these aspects, SAWA plays a pioneering role in sustainable and circular construction.
Join us!
Does your organization want to accelerate towards a circular future? Then also sign The New Normal. By endorsing the manifesto, you commit to using a unified language for circular construction. This way, we truly make The New Normal the new normal. The manifesto can be viewed at www.hetnieuwenormaal.nl. Interested? Please contact Thirza Monster via thirza.monster@cirkelstad.nl.
