Improving Circularity in Ontario Building Design Through Design for Disassembly Principles

Mainstream construction processes follow a linear model, which puts pressure on natural resources, produces excessive waste, and increases carbon emissions. Circular design approaches, such as design for disassembly (DfD), can mitigate the environmental damage already done. DfD considers a building's end of life from the design phase, allowing components to be easily dismantled and reused. This research investigates the level of awareness of design for disassembly in Ontario building design and construction, the barriers to improvement and adoption, and whether a circularity evaluation tool would be beneficial in addressing these barriers. An online survey of the industry was conducted, including responses from architects, engineers, researchers, and construction managers. Individual interviews were also conducted. Finally, the evaluation tool Regenerate was assessed using real building projects. The results of this study identify the industry's knowledge gaps and suggest methods to improve uptake of circular design strategies through resources, policy, and assessment tools.