Closing Loops
Closing Loops is a circular economy pilot in construction, in which a storage building will be built on Mustikkamaa Island in Helsinki. Most of the building materials, except the foundations, are reused. The university serves as the principal designer and leads the research project. The project investigates the impact of material reuse on the design process, the approval of reused building materials, as well as costs and carbon footprint. Once completed, the building will be used by the City of Helsinki, and it will include a cold storage space and a warm maintenance hall with social facilities. A real-life construction project will offer realistic and accurate information about circular economy practices. The building will be completed in May 2025 and will serve as a research case in further cross-disciplinary research projects. For instance, the weather resistance and indoor air quality of reused materials will be investigated.
Partners & Contact
Duration
2023-2025
Budget
1,7 M €
Main partners
Aalto University / Department of Architecture
City of Helsinki / Circular Economy Cluster Program, Urban Environmental Division, Culture and Leisure Division, Helsinki City Construction Services (Stara).
Other partners
Spolia (reused materials)
A-Insinöörit (construction management consultant)
Sitowise (structural engineering)
Sweco (HVAC, electrical, and landscape design)
Department of Civil Engineering (follow-up research 2025-27)
Research group at Aalto University
Johanna Saarela, Markus Saarela, Havu Järvelä, Antti Lehto
More information
Assistant Professor Antti Lehto, Department of Architecture, antti.lehto@aalto.fi, 050 413 4414
Project Manager Mari Koskinen, Urban Environmental Division, mari.koskinen@helsinki.fi
Project Manager Mira Jarkko, Circular Economy Cluster Program, mira.jarkko@helsinki.fi
Background: The Need for Circular Construction Pilot
There is a lot of talk about the circular economy, but concrete examples are rare. Both in research and the construction field, there is a call for tangible examples. We need information on how the design process, carbon footprint, construction costs, the validation of the suitability of reusable building components, and material flows suitable for reuse are realized in practice.
The Mustikkamaa pilot will be a pioneer in two terms. First, it will join the group of pioneering buildings in real-life construction projects. Nearly all materials, except the foundations, are sourced from demolition sites. There are a handful of similar pioneering circular economy buildings in the world, particularly in the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland. Like Closing Loops, these buildings have been designed for real use with ambitious circular economy goals according to building regulations. Second, the project will be a pioneer in researching circular design and construction. The research data covers the whole process of designing and building.
The pilot aims at high architectural quality, drawing attention at an international level while fostering an understanding of the possibilities and challenges of the circular economy in construction. The project was initiated by the Aalto University Department of Architecture and the City of Helsinki through a student competition. The competition was won by architecture student Johanna Saarela and engineering student Markus Saarela.
Once completed, the building will be used by the City of Helsinki’s Culture and Leisure Division, including a cold storage space for sports equipment and a warm maintenance hall with social facilities. Aalto University is the principal designer of the building, as well as the leader of the research project.
A New Paradigm for Design and Construction
Architecture based on reused materials is familiar in traditional construction, but new in contemporary construction. The design process and the underlying philosophy are radically different. Designers have previously specified procurement or factory-made products, but now designers base their creativity on materials salvaged from existing buildings. While looking at old buildings and their potential, there’s another outlook toward the future: to ensure that the building is easy to maintain, and that materials can be easily disassembled for continuing their life in the next building.
The circular economy raises the skill level required of designers. It demands improvisation skills and quick decision-making, as the available materials are less predictable than those ordered from manufacturers, and demolition processes are fast. It requires open-mindedness and creativity to turn materials destined for waste into a beautiful building. Designers must communicate more effectively, show flexibility, and coordinate closely between various stakeholders. Through the pilot, Aalto will be a forerunner in understanding and educating the new way of building.
Truly Ecological Architecture
The most ecologically sustainable way to build is to reuse existing materials and make the building easy to maintain, adaptable, and dismantlable. Closing Loops embodies all of this. Its carbon footprint is low because virgin materials are primarily needed for the foundations. The building has been designed to be as functionally and structurally clear as possible, facilitating adaptability to different uses and ease of maintenance. The building materials have been carefully selected. They stand the test of time, both technically and aesthetically, even though most materials have already lived 30-50 years.
A Microcosm of Aalto University: Art, Science, and Teaching
Art and science run side by side in Closing Loops. The multidisciplinary nature is well demonstrated by the fact that students from two schools of Aalto, ARTS and ENG, made the joint competition proposal. The project offers young designers the chance to test their wings on a real, cutting-edge project with the support of Aalto professionals.
The documentation and research of the design and construction process following the circular economy principles with the same precision as in Closing Loops have not been conducted in the context of a completed building in the Nordic countries. The research data collected from architectural, structural, electrical and HVAC design together with material procurement, and building site is exceptionally comprehensive, and the resulting research has international significance. Two doctoral researchers from the Department of Architecture are currently utilizing the data from Closing Loops. The accumulated data and the completed building will be used also in future research.
Through Closing Loops, new knowledge will emerge about the skills future building designers will need, benefiting education in the construction sector, both in architecture and engineering. For example, the Department of Architecture’s courses already utilize the insights of the project, such as the Circular Construction lecture series, and the master-level studios Sustainable Construction and Housing Design.
Impact at Aalto and in Society
The project transcends organizational boundaries at Aalto University, the City of Helsinki, and the involved companies. Experts and builders have contributed their expertise to the design and construction, while at the same time, they are bringing the latest circular economy knowledge back to their organizations. The City of Helsinki with all together four divisions are strongly involved as a main partner and will develop its processes through the learnings of the pilot. One important milestone is a general report, which will based on the scientific articles.
The project advances circular economy practices in construction not only for the City of Helsinki but also more broadly in Finland. For example, the knowledge generated by the pilot can be utilized by other cities, design teams, developers and other companies involved in the circular economy.