Event case study

Figure 13: Artist Impression (TomDavid Architecten, n.d.)

Conclusion and discussion

This redesign proposal aims to answer the following research question: ‘How does the integration of circularity to the shopping centre Zuidplein contribute to the social and environmental goals of the Hart van Zuid area?’ It is achieved through focusing on two of the “7 pillars of the circular economy” from Kubbinga et al. (2018): ‘materials’ and ‘human culture and ’society’. The circular procurement has social benefits to improve the Hart van Zuid area social challenges (including criminality, inadequate school performance, high unemployment, and poor-quality housing). Also, the circularity integration provides a future-proof solution to the specific challenges of this case (including insecurity, the growing trend of e-commerce, and the lack of sustainability). Due to the limited knowledge and expertise within the circularity field, integration in the process is of significance. In the 1) planning phase: defining quality can be difficult due to the lack of standardisation. Therefore, as a client, it is critical to present a clear and detailed description of circularity. The description must be shared between the stakeholders to provide an alignment between them. In this phase, dialogue is crucial to achieving common grounds. It is advised to give more space for innovative ideas to the contractors instead of specific requirements. In the 2) design phase: the performance-based thinking primarily concerned with the process, product, and services is critical. This can be achieved by transferring the risk to the contractor and encouraging them to focus on the long term; it is recommended to test the design proposal against the brief. During the 3) execution phase: the contractor must actively look for solutions for circular materials. Changes can happen in any phase. The use of tools as BIM is essential to maintain every adjustment up to date and manage all changes; 4) operation phase: what would happen to the asset after its completion is one of the main circularity challenges. Since the users are not part of the contract, they are not obliged to apply circular strategies (e.g., reduce, reuse). In this case, incentives should be provided to the users to stimulate the application of the circular approach. As the manufacturers have the most knowledge about their products, extending its responsibility is also one way to encourage a circular economy. As Zuidplein Circular is a pilot project, one of its main objectives during the operation phase is to share knowledge of the integration of circular economy in the construction sector.

To sum up, Zuidplein is undergoing several challenges. As a pilot project, shopping centre Zuidplein seeks feasible solutions towards circularity and social sustainability. The action plans and the mitigation plans should both be taken into consideration to ensure feasibility. It is welcomed that this redesign proposal can benefit the shopping centre and the Zuidplein area at different levels.