Commitments

Circular[x]Change is an European network of professionals committed to rethinking how we use and reuse our buildings and materials. We invite you to follow our 5 commitments and be part of the movement towards sustainable building practices.

1. Embrace the Existing

We are surrounded by infrastructures, buildings, materials, and goods. What we need is most likely already there. Look there first. Be attentive to the opportunities it offers. Unravel the stories it tells. Lengthen lifespans.

2. Don’t Disturbe the Graves

Avoid mining virgin materials. Leave carbon sinks underground. Connect to the web of life and take from it only what can be renewed.

3. Design and Build Responsibly

Build only when necessary. Challenge the demand and avoid unnecessary projects. Keep what works. Consider flexibility and changing needs. Foster quality over quantity, and trust crafts·wo·manship and know-how. Make sure your solutions can be adopted by others. Anticipate maintenance and caretaking. Integrate unbuilding into your building.

4. Document, Check and Exchange

Document and report on the results of your experiments in an open and transparent way. Double-check your claims. Base your decisions on sound evidence and documented results. Remain critical. Raise awareness about your successes but also the failures and the limits you faced.

5. Materials have Rights too

Stop treating materials like passive resources, available only for human needs. Value their aesthetics and their history. Appreciate their provenance and the labour, energy and intelligence they embody.