Circular Economy Living Lab: Research Studio 2022

As building materials’ extraction and manufacturing contributes largely to the detriment of our climate, the circular economy (CE), by introducing a leasing model and specific r-strategies that correspond to the type and condition of a material stock, adds value throughout the value chain while drastically reducing production of new materials.

By providing various functional as well as educational spaces while maintaining its primary function as a dormitory, the circular economy living lab at Penn transforms Sansom west to become a center for the evaluation and promotion of CE systems and products at all building scales and for all stakeholders.

When designing the various layers of architecture (Shearing Layers) in a climate emergency, CE lends to powerful design frameworks including designing envelopes for disassembly, space plans for co-living, and stuff for sharing, while insuring all is done in a techno-environmental symbiosis.