Space&Matter Discusses Circular Economy: Limits And Possibilities

Netherlands-based Space&Matter, widely known for their Schoonschip project discusses the various aspects of building a community sustainably.

Space&Matter, an Amsterdam-based design studio that specialises in architecture, circular area development and vision-making, discusses the various aspects, challenges and benefits of building a circular economy, architecture’s role in dealing with the climate crisis and more.

Circular economy, simply said, is the 3Rs- ‘Reduce-Reuse-Recycle,’ but in reality, it is much more complex, as a concept, and even more so in reality. Could you tell us a bit about the initiative by Space&Matter to build cities within the circular economy model?

Space&Matter was founded 12 years ago, the three founders united by the desire to apply an integral approach to area development. To us, this means that we assess and address all challenges any given area faces, not just some of them. As time went on, we realized that to create the change we deemed necessary, to truly change the way we live and build in a way that is compatible with the finite resources we have available to us on the planet, we needed to expand our work and be more than ‘just’ architects. Therefore, six years ago, we established a project development firm, Common City Development (The project development firm was initially named ‘Crowdbuilding’. After the launch of the online platform, the name of the project development firm has been changed to Common City Development and the platform has been given the name ‘Crowdbuilding’, since the team felt it suits the activities better), which allowed us to develop buildings together with citizens: the best, if not only, way to create truly future-proof places. We also recently launched an online platform, CrowdBuilding, where citizens are united around shared living dreams and where they can easily and successfully form a housing cooperative or building group. In short: we’ve been working on achieving systemic rather than piecemeal change. And now, with the climate crisis on the horizon and time running out, we are directing all our efforts towards building as many communities/square metres as possible that thrive within planetary boundaries, that can successfully face and adapt to the challenges brought forth by climate change. In doing so, it is important to be vigilant that this does not happen at the expense of people. This is a goal that we hope to achieve through deep collaboration not just between our own companies, but with those across all sectors who share our vision, ideals and urgency.

“To create a liveable city that prospers for many years to come, it is of the utmost importance to build with people, not just for them, to validate concepts and ideas before they are put into effect.”

Designing a circular economy will require going beyond the extents of architecture and exploring the aspects of working as a society. It would require citizen engagement, measures by the government, and more. Could you tell us what you consider as some of the most important aspects that will make a circular economy work well?

Indeed, to make the circular economy a reality for all people, not just those who can afford to live, build or buy sustainably, all sectors need to work together in a radically different way. We think that one of the most important aspects is to involve citizens, current and future residents, from the very beginning and throughout the entire design and development process. To create a liveable city that prospers for many years to come, it is of the utmost importance to build with people, not just for them, to validate concepts and ideas before they are put into effect. Openness and transparency are thus key features that come into play as we transition towards the circular economy and rethink the way we live together. And, again, an integral approach is essential: everything we build now and in the future needs to be designed in such a way that also future generations benefit from it, not just the ones currently in existence. Next to this, we think it’s crucial to enable and realise a social and political shift, to garner broad and immediate support for the circular economy. We already have access to an incredible amount of relevant, powerful technology; now we need to create the conditions in which these can be implemented in the most inclusive way possible.

“If we want to create a different future, we need to rethink governance within the built environment, too, and not just continue to develop in the ways that we’ve always done, when clearly this is not working.”

A community will have people from diverse backgrounds; educational, religious, economic, or racial. What kind of considerations, different from a regular development, will have to be taken to accommodate these different needs in a circular economy?

One important way in which we can accommodate the needs of an increasingly globalized, heterogeneous society in perpetuity, is by enabling people to design, build and govern their own communities. If we want to create a different future, we need to rethink governance within the built environment, too, and not just continue to develop in the ways that we’ve always done, when clearly this is not working. The Community Land Trust model, for example, is perfectly suited for this purpose, and we are now investigating how the CLT can bridge social and ecological impact at the same time.

In our previous conversation, you had mentioned focusing on non-urban spaces as well, restoring our natural habitats and levels of biodiversity. What can you tell us about the developments you are planning for these areas?

Last year, together with people who share our beliefs, we founded Sumowala, a social enterprise that is simultaneously dedicated to creating nature reserves and immersive nature experiences near cities. The idea is that we buy or lease land, for example from owners who want to convert their farmland or production forest into natural habitat or woodlands. We then modify the land in such a way that nature can recover on its own. The new reserve is overseen by local partners in collaboration with biologists and the users of the Sumowala cabin park. Within a few seasons, wildlife will return, and the natural balance will start to be restored. People who otherwise would not have access to such opportunities can stay in and experience nature at the park, while giving a helping hand to the local partners. And thus play a role in the new ecosystem, albeit a modest one.

Do you think you’ll encounter any roadblocks or setbacks in the execution of the plan? If so, what are some ways in which you plan to handle them?

One challenge is, of course, the fact that we are part of and continue to operate within a world that prioritizes and accommodates short-term growth rather than long-term thinking. While we have an incredible array of technological insights, tools and applications at our disposal, there are insufficient incentives in place to motivate companies (and governments, and investors) to change the way they work. To build circular cities, there needs to be a power shift: not investors driven only by the desire to generate the highest possible profit, but the people affected by these choices should decide what the future infill of cities looks like. Therefore municipalities should create new processes to stimulate inclusive climate-proof neighbourhoods and support new governance models. This will facilitate and encourage bottom-up housing developments. When residents themselves say where and how they want to live, we create places where people will actually want to be, that they care about and will, thus, care for for many years to come.

Even when we’re at a stage where the climate crisis is inescapably evident, not many are ready to accept this and seek innovative solutions. Why do you think this is so, and what could the rest of us do to change this situation?

I strongly believe that almost everyone knows by now that a climate crisis is inescapably evident. It is clear that the world needs a system change, but the old system and many people involved in it try to preserve it. Others are completely overwhelmed by the problem and don’t know what to do. In my opinion it is the task of the people who have the ability of imagining and implementing a new system or parts of, to do so. We think one important way to change this situation, to spur change across all sectors and eventually across the globe, is to form deep partnerships across sectors. Companies, governments, citizens and academia all offer unique insights, and only by combining these can we hope to deliver durable solutions for the challenges we face. Integral processes and solutions can help to change the system.

The Netherlands is planning to go fully circular by 2050. Several other countries are taking sustainable initiatives as well. What are some ways in which you think the Government can help?

To continue on what was previously stated, we think that the government can and should do more in terms of incentivizing companies, entrepreneurs and citizens, too, to work in a circular manner. This can take several forms. On the one hand, there are such things as a carbon tax or emissions trading. This means, for example, making land available to (collective) self-build initiatives instead of to the highest bidder. But also by a different policy, in which sustainable, circular plans are given priority and tenders are assessed more strictly according to frameworks such as The Doughnut.

Could you tell us about some other projects you are currently working on or your future projects?

One project we’re especially excited about is Circular City House, a multifunctional building composed of wood that will be built over the coming years in the east of Amsterdam. Circular City House is quite literally wrapped around history: we designed it in such a way that we could preserve, rather than demolish, the iconic, eponymous cafe that stands on the building lot. What makes this project extra special is the fact that we not only designed this structure, but that we will also be building and developing it via two of our ventures, Common City Development and BOOM builds. Where the former is responsible for the development of the project, the latter will provide the Cross-Laminated Timber construction.