A Brave New Hub for Building Material Reuse
Recycling gets a lot of attention in the circular economy, but reuse is just as important, and consumes significantly less energy. Lucas van Laack and Sunniva Baarnes introduce Rehub, a new online platform enabling builders to search for reusable materials across multiple marketplaces and databases.
The demand for global housing is exploding. Meeting that demand with current construction processes and new materials will increase resource use by 85% by 2060, just at a time when we need to be reducing consumption. Innovation is required. Enter Rehub, an online hub created by the global engineering consultancy Rambøll. Rehub enables builders to search for and purchase reusable building materials in their area. The roof tiles from one building can become wall materials in another, the timber from a tear-down can become cladding in something new, drastically reducing environmental impact in the process. Rambøll’s Lucas van Laack and Sunniva Baarnes introduce you to the possibilities of the platform.
About the speakers
Lucas van Laack is a senior energy and environmental advisor at Rambøll, where he also serves as CTO of Rehub. He has a specialist’s knowledge of building analysis and optimization—from individual design projects to master plans. He holds a master’s degree in Environmental Design and Engineering from the Energy Institute at University College London.
Sunniva Baarnes is a civil engineer from Bergen University College currently serving as a senior environmental advisor at Rambøll, where she co-founded Rehub and serves as CEO. She is an expert in environmental building projects outlined by BREEAM, FutureBuilt, and other sustainability schemes.
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