Designing building facades for the circular economy

Designing building facades for the circular economy

The construction industry is one of the largest consumers of materials, with most of them unable to be reused or recycled at the end of their life because they cannot be easily disassembled. During the lifespan of buildings, user requirements, design principles, and regulations change, rendering projects obsolete. Especially regarding facades, the answer to this problem lies in implementing basic principles of the circular economy.

In a circular system, products are not designed from scratch but are redesigned to meet new requirements. In facades, the sustainable approach will either be upgrading or reconstructing them using construction elements sourced from recycling or through upgrading recycling (upcycling). Therefore, we choose facades that apply the principles of a circular model: easy disassembly, adaptability, sufficient documentation, and recycling. Mechanical connections instead of adhesives, recyclable materials such as aluminum, which is also corrosion-resistant, high-durability painted surfaces that withstand for many years, and material marking for traceability.

An ideal model with these capabilities is the ventilated facade with composite aluminum panels, as it provides adaptability to new needs with new colours, insulation addition, application at high speed and ease, easy processing, mechanical connections, low weight, and great architectural freedom for the colors and shapes we choose, without compromising the building's structural integrity or fire protection.

For these solutions, Elval Colour provides the etalbond® aluminium composite panel, which is an ideal material for facade cladding designed with circular construction and economy in mind. It is fully recyclable, and its finishes have a long lifespan. Available options include classic colours, stone or ceramic textures, or metallic shades. These are alternative options that reduce both the weight and cost of the facade. Handling and removing the panels from the whole is easy, as is upgrading them for fire protection. Taking into account the possibility of full traceability, the product becomes the facade cladding material of the future.