Abstract for: From Linear to Circular: A Holistic Framework for Sustainable Transition in the AEC Sector

This research explores the transition towards a Circular Economy (CE) within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector, highlighting the significance of System Dynamics Modeling (SDM) to navigate the complexities of sustainable practices. By proposing the adoption of CE as a holistic approach to decline ecological imbalance, it addresses the challenges faced by the AEC industry, including material flow complexities, lack of awareness as well as systemic barriers to implementing CE practices. By leveraging SD's capability to model complex systems, this research aims to understand and optimize the interactions within CE, providing insights for long-term sustainable strategies and a system wide overview. The methodology includes a comprehensive literature review, stakeholder interviews, and a Use Case analysis. By identifying key elements, processes, and system-level, this paper outlines a framework for mapping CE onto SD. As a result, a High-Level-System (HLS) approach for policy adoption is developed. In a broader context this HLS is conceptualized in a Multi-System-Framework (MLF), to develop sustainable strategies and to smooth out and identifying horizontal and vertical bottlenecks in CE implementation.