According to Prof. Dr. Lino Guzzella, President of ETH Zurich, states, science and society must find a holistic solution for greater sustainability. In the construction sector, the way we build has not evolved much in the last 20 to 30 years. But he believes that we urgently need to build in a more environmentally friendly way. The advancing digitalization also offers great opportunities for this – both in the planning and in the realization phase.

With digital fabrication to a circular economy

Prof. Dr. Guzzella cites the “digital fabrication” method as an example of a more sustainable construction method. This captures a holistic picture of construction, which ranges from building to recycling. By using digital tools already in construction planning, the construction process can be made more efficient and thus consumes fewer resources. The information that was previously registered digitally can finally be disposed of when the building is deconstructed.

By comparison, today we are essentially building with new materials. When we demolish a building, we often find ourselves having to transport most of the material away again. Digital fabrication can prevent this. Thanks to digital methods, it is possible to determine exactly which materials are contained in the building to be demolished. This makes it possible to better separate the available recyclables and reuse many of them for new construction right on site.

Prof. Dr. Guzzella is confident that a real circular economy can be envisaged on the basis of such methods.

Video recording Event: Swiss Green Economy Symposium (SGES), Winterthur, 30.10.2017

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