ABSTRACT
The construction industry is the world’s largest consumer of raw materials due to its high demolition and reconstruction rates, leading to significant environmental impacts through resource depletion and waste generation. Architects, designers, and engineers play a crucial role in mitigating these effects. Circularity presents a viable solution by promoting strategies that minimize structural waste and resource consumption. Circularity in the Built Environment (CBE) is a framework designed to reduce environmental damage by integrating sustainable practices into the built environment. However, a systematic and logical conceptual foundation is essential to define CBE, explain its implementation, and identify the necessary conditions for its development. This explanatory research aims to contribute to the theoretical framework of CBE by drawing on circularity theories from various disciplines. The study focuses on the intersection between circularity theory and the built environment, guided by three main research questions: (1) What are the key parameters that define the built environment on a global scale? (2) What is CBE, and how can it be implemented? (3) What circularity parameters can be linked to CBE and other disciplines? Given the evolving and multi-layered nature of circularity, a traditional disciplinary approach alone is insufficient to fully address its complexities. To bridge this gap, the study employs a comparative analysis method with an interdisciplinary perspective. Circularity parameters from various disciplines have been examined, and their relationships with Circularity Theories in the Built Environment (CTBE) and Circularity Theories in Different Disciplines (CTDD) have been analyzed. The findings identify key parameters that contribute to the development of a comprehensive Circularity Theory of the Built Environment. The study assumes that parameters with a high correlation to both CTBE and CTDD play a critical role in shaping this evolving theoretical framework.
