From Commercial to Residential: Exploring a Circular Economy Approach to Light Steel Framing Reuse Potential in Auckland

Housing affordability and construction-related carbon emissions pose dual challenges for New Zealand’s built environment. Reusing light steel framing (LSF) could address both by lowering project costs and embodied carbon, yet little research has examined its feasibility in the New Zealand context. This study investigates barriers to LSF reuse, identifies potential sources of reusable inventory, proposes a non-destructive disassembly method aligned with the New Zealand Building Code, and applies these findings through a case study of H&M Commercial Bay in Auckland to quantify recoverable LSF and evaluate its reuse potential. A mixed-methods approach combined a structured narrative literature review, an assessment of the local building materials market, and a simulated deconstruction of the case study building. Results indicate that most LSF dimensions used in H&M Commercial Bay meet New Zealand residential structural framing requirements. Simulated deconstruction identified an estimated 18.09 tonnes of potentially recoverable LSF, which is a significant material resource for affordable housing. Successful reuse requires careful non-destructive disassembly, including screw-removal and reverse construction techniques, to minimise LSF building component damage, alongside complete component documentation and dimensional matching to residential framing requirements. The findings offer a replicable framework for incorporating reused LSF into affordable housing and support New Zealand’s transition toward a more sustainable and circular built environment.