Fast and flexible construction with super circular concrete shell

In addition to first-time buyers, the housing shortage is beginning to affect more and more move-up buyers. Although they generally have more to spend, two out of three people moving on are unfortunately seeing their moving plans fall through due to the overheated housing market. And refugees, asylum seekers and migrant workers are also finding it impossible to find suitable housing. "In order to deal with the housing crisis, large numbers of homes are needed now," believes Rob Hogendoorn, Commercial Director of CascoTotaal. "A seemingly impossible task, now that building sites are becoming scarcer, construction costs are going through the roof, permit processes are too slow and nitrogen standards seem to be holding construction hostage. Circle offers a solution to all these challenges, taking freedom of design, sustainability, living comfort and circularity to the highest level. And at an affordable price.

Circle is a smart, modular and circular building system with a maximum interior dimension of 9.6 x 3.6 meters (lxw) with which various types of buildings and building forms can be made, Hogendoorn says. "With Circle, you build a compact starter home that you can then grow into a spacious single-family home, life-supporting senior housing or an apartment complex." The 100% circular concrete building system offers a net floor area of 35 square meters and is "triple flex. "The concrete shell easily adapts to architectural and furnishing requirements, can be used as a single unit or large residential complex, and is also highly life-cycle proof."

Sustainability in figures 

Distinctive is the sustainability of Circle. The concept is very smart and circularly designed. For example, the production 30% uses less concrete than other construction methods, which also reduces CO2 emissions. In addition, the fact that the modules are transported to the construction site in one go and completely assembled means significant savings in transport movements. In addition, the standardized module enables high-quality reuse. "Due to the careful separation of shell construction, finishing and installations, parts can be easily and properly separated and reused," says Hogendoorn. "Circle has a very low MPG of 0.14/m2 GFA, making it, as far as we know now, the most circular shell in the Netherlands and probably even in Europe."

Permanent quality

The Circle modules are suitable for both permanent and temporary construction. The latter in particular is now a godsend, as temporary building permits are theoretically granted more quickly. And construction is also considerably faster, without sacrificing quality, says Hogendoorn. "With Circle, we can achieve temporary construction with permanent construction quality in just a few days. In the ideal situation, the shells are poured today, stripped tomorrow and then finished to size in a few days. By stocking the airframes, we take this construction speed to the highest level." Thanks to the high construction quality, a permanent building permit can still be issued on the homes after, say, 8 or 10 years. "If that doesn't happen, the modules can easily be picked up and moved to another location."

Lower TCO

The fact that you can reuse the homes is particularly interesting for investors, because the depreciation and Total Cost of Ownership is significantly reduced, Hogendoorn said. "If desired, the modules can also be stripped, after which the complete shells can be used in a new project, with a new layout and finish. An advanced drilling protocol and the lack of collapse facilities contribute to this." If no new destination is found, the concrete can be reprocessed into aggregate and reused in the production process. "This keeps the product chain completely closed and our concept is 'circular to the bone.'"

Ultimate flexibility 

A Circle module can be used as a tiny house or single-family home, but can also be linked horizontally and stacked vertically, up to as many as five stories high. "In this way, it is also possible to create apartment buildings. Its deployability as a single unit (tiny house) or as linked and stacked homes gives investors and corporations a great deal of flexibility. Subsequent adjustments can easily be made by removing or adding walls. This is not only a practical, but also a sustainable solution at a time when there is a great need for life-proof and starter homes." Because the circular building concept was developed in collaboration with KAAN Architects and engineering firm ABT, architectural and installation principles were included to the maximum extent in the design. "Exactly what
we need now."