Circularity hubs in the built environment: Validating an agent-based scenario demonstrator

In the built environment, a fundamental circular economy practice is premised on closing material loops. To realise a closed-loop system; supply-demand matchmaking between deconstruction and construction parties is required. The reuse of materials through such matchmaking is key to managing multiple circular projects at scale. However, this is challenging due to the spatiotemporal mismatches of different material streams.
Circularity hubs are in that regard; viewed as a promising solution. They could serve as physical warehouses that collect; repair; store; and redistribute waste as secondary resources; mitigating the mismatches of circular material flows. Although this type of solution has attracted increasing attention; its feasibility remains understudied. Built upon an earlier agent-based model; this research proposes and validates an agent-based scenario demonstrator to assess the feasibility of circularity hubs. A Delphi method; consisting of two rounds of validation with 20 participants; was used to collect and analyse user feedback. The results show that the developed scenario demonstrator helps to create a common experimental basis for multiple stakeholders to envisage; evaluate; and discuss the feasibility of circularity hubs in the built environment.