From idea to experiment

To achieve climate and energy goals, a major renovation task is needed. At the same time, critical raw materials are under pressure, and the circular economy demands less use of materials and higher steps on the R ladder. New Economy has therefore carried out a market survey into low-tech renovation solutions. This involved looking at smart design choices, lifespan extension, and other system choices at the building and area level.

Register for the introductory session on March 17

Seven building blocks emerged from this exploration: building shell first, right-sizing, prevent cooling demand, natural ventilation/low-tech, collective organizing, life cycle business case and breaking through system barriers. These form the foundation for three experiments in which Refuse and Rethink be applied as a design principle.

Webinar: from exploration to experiment

On Tuesday, March 17, 2026 New Economy is organizing three webinars in which we share the insights from the exploration and present the next step: pilots, design processes and chain collaboration. During the sessions, we will demonstrate how Refuse and Rethink can be applied in renovations and how organizations can participate.

Experiment 1 – Refuse in multi-year maintenance plans (MJOP)

Many long-term maintenance plans (MJOPs) are based on fixed replacement cycles, which means that installations and components are replaced prematurely. This experiment examines how homeowners' associations (VvEs) and property managers Refuse principles can integrate:

Postpone replacement responsibly and include repair or modular replacement as standard.
Normalize maintenance before new purchase and organize collective facilities instead of individual installations.
New service and risk-sharing models explore ways to make postponement financially attractive.

We select pilot locations, analyze multi-year maintenance plans, design scenarios with reduced material use, and develop "sharing & less" pilots. We measure success in material impact (kg and Whole Life Carbon), comfort, costs and resident acceptance.

Experiment 2 – Refuse as a design issue

In this experiment, artists, designers, SMEs and students are given a design assignment: delete, combine, collectivize and redefine – Optimization is not permitted. The goal is to create more comfort with less critical materials. Think of modular sun protection, natural ventilation, thermal mass, or bio-based solutions. The most radical concepts are being developed into pilot projects; municipalities can act as launching customer.

Experiment 3 – CIRCO chain track

Together with chain partners we develop a CIRCO chain track in which participants work on propositions regarding:

Peel first and right-sizing of installations,
Collectivize instead of individualizing,
Steering towards Whole Life Carbon.

During a two-day program spread over several months, participants learn to design interventions, substantiate their impact (WLCA, TCO), and translate them into feasible business models and pilots. The output is recorded in a Refuse playbook.

Why Refuse?

Refuse does not mean stagnation, but making choices that lead to less dependence on critical materials, less material use and greater system resilience in the built environment. By approaching renovation in this way, we develop solutions that better fit a circular economy.

Join in!

Would you like to contribute your ideas, participate, or offer a pilot location? Then register for one of the webinars on March 17, 2026 (sessions at 9:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 3:00 PM). Together we are pioneering a built environment that offers greater comfort with fewer materials.

Register for the introductory session on March 17