Reusing Timber Formwork in Building Construction: Testing, Redesign, and Socio‐Economic Reflection

In 2018, the construction sector was responsible for 39% of the worldwide energy and process‐related carbon dioxide
emissions (Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction et al., 2019). This is partly due to the embodied carbon, which
represents the carbon emissions related to building construction and material production (LETI, 2020). While zero energy
buildings and zero energy renovations start to get the operational carbon down, the circular economy aims to do this by
closing material loops and stimulating the reuse of discarded materials in building construction (Ellen McArthur Foundation
et al., 2015). Although it is not a new phenomenon, material reuse does require a substantially different approach and is
at this point not yet common in the building industry. This is especially true for load‐bearing components. This article
presents a pilot project for the reuse of discarded timber formwork for the construction of the façade and (load‐bearing)
substructure of a new house. Through this pilot case and by reflecting on a series of similar cases, it studies the remain‐
ing challenges for material reuse but also proposes and assesses redesign strategies that will allow upscaling the reuse
of timber formwork. The project shows that although waste, material, and money can be saved by using reclaimed mate‐
rials, it does complicate the design and construction process and, as such, does not necessarily reduce the total project
budget. Moreover, for reuse to become a current practice, new design approaches and collaborations will need to be
established. Finally, socio‐economic factors must be considered to increase the acceptance of reclaimed materials in new
building construction.