Reversible Architecture Allied with Modular Joints and Smart Fastening Can Enable a Circular Future for the Construction Industry

Reports from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) project forecast that municipal solid waste generation will increase from 2.1 billion tons in 2023 to an estimated 3.8 billion tons in 2050. The construction and demolition of buildings alone is responsible for over a third of solid waste worldwide. The need for sustainable solutions at scale is clear. Circular construction ensures that building waste from demolition will remain economically viable for as long as possible, maximizing its lifecycle and creating a sustainable loop.

Incorporating predictive analytics alongside smart fastening systems, modular joints, and magnetic connections creates a flexible foundation to reach this goal. By designing buildings with parts that can be easily removed, replaced, or reused, mitigates excessive waste and the need for complete demolition—or takes it out altogether. Focusing on the end-of-life during the design and assembly stages reduces the financial and environmental costs of construction. Ever-changing regulatory mandates and sustainability certifications are accelerating the need for buildings that can evolve over time, rather than being torn down or rebuilt.

Traditional buildings are difficult and expensive to update. Reversible design with adaptability in mind grants access to key systems such as Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) units, electrical wiring, and inner walls, without damaging products or integral structural components. Smart technologies make reversible design possible. CO Adaptive’s use of reversible technologies to facilitate disassembly reduces risks in the replacement process. Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled sensors and smart fastening systems generate endless possibilities, such as creating easy access to infrastructure, while allowing for the adaptation of layouts and the replacement of outdated components. Smart fasteners monitor tension and signal when they should be released or adjusted. Tagged materials embedded with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or QR tracking can drastically simplify disassembly and facilitate reuse. EVstudio ensures that connections can be disassembled from the start, enabling building developers to resell or trade materials as personal property. Reversible designs with smart technology make buildings into circular, sustainable structures that evolve with changing regulation and growing needs.

Predictive analytics, already used in smart buildings, helps apply reversible features. Anticipating when certain components will reach the end of their life or when a building’s layout needs to adapt to changes in occupancy or use can help avoid dangerous and expensive fixes. These predictive systems use data on the condition and usage patterns of building components to signal when to remove and replace features and systems, like a wall panel or HVAC unit. Madaster uses material passports to streamline this process, using Building Information Modeling (BIM) and linking materials through QR codes to provide records of composition, origin, and reuse potential. This both maximizes material use and minimizes disruption. Circular solutions encourage economic growth, while prioritizing resource conservation and the environment, providing a path forward in sustainable building design. In order to make this possible, buildings themselves must be as adaptive as the technologies they incorporate.

It is important to note that no single technology provider is currently addressing the full scope of opportunities in reversible design, and the market remains fragmented. As a relatively new industry, the smart buildings market is evolving rapidly, driven by regulatory disruptions and constant innovations. Recovering and repurposing materials during building maintenance or demolition is often impossible or very costly, resulting in even more waste. Not only do reversible technologies improve operational efficiency, but they also enable the recovery of valuable building materials and products. With greater mobility and adaptability built into modern structures, reversible technologies enable facility managers to integrate smarter HVAC and lighting systems that simplify maintenance, respond to occupant needs, and reintegrate old materials into the economic cycle. These could then be sold in secondhand construction markets, where smart building developers can buy or trade reclaimed materials. Companies like Holcim are leading this shift by recycling construction demolition materials into the next generation of building solutions, helping extend product lifecycles.

To increase recovery rates from building deconstruction, the city of Munich is developing a Circular Construction Hub (CCH). A more comprehensive proposal is expected in November 2025, envisioning temporary on-site material banks, along with a continuous digital marketplace for reused resources. Scotland is pursuing a similar initiative for its own CCH planned for December 2027. These efforts aim to strengthen the resilience of the construction materials supply chain. By anticipating change through forward-focused strategies, such initiatives drive economic growth and advance regenerative, circular building practices that help “close the loop.”