The current wave of environmental awareness in the market has led to an increase of sustainability demands by the consumers. The focus of manufacturing companies has increasingly shifted from end-of-pipe solutions to the environmental performance of products and services. Companies find themselves in a situation where they must simultaneously create value for consumers and be profitable while considering environmental considerations. A case study is performed to explore this issue from the perspective of several eco-design tools. The existing product development process of a DECT communication device is investigated through the lens of eco-design. The theory looks into the apparent benefits and unforeseen difficulties, barriers and other factors in adopting an eco-design approach amongst companies, particularly SMEs. An eco-design audit comprising assessments on organisation capacity and potential for eco-design is carried out. This is followed by the creation and implementation of a comprehensive eco-design tool to generate a simple yet effective checklist for corporations with operational strategies for sustainable product design. Since changes in the product development and/or production to accommodate a higher level of sustainability cannot be easily or readily implemented, the framework functions as a guide of strategies within different time-scopes.

The environmental impacts of the construction industry, and the built environment, as the end product of construction activity, are massive due to the extensive use of energy and resources. Sustainability and circular economy are recognized as the main solution to the existing environmental impacts of this industry and the main approach to the sustainable development of it. The transition of a construction project’s life cycle from a linear one starting with material processing and ending up at demolition stage to a real cyclic life cycle needs defining alternative end-of-life scenarios. Deconstruction as one of the alternative end-of-life scenarios is defined as salvaging material of a dismantled structure for reuse or recycling. Design for deconstruction refers to the importance of considering deconstruction as the end-of-life scenario in the design stage of structures. This thesis aims to define the existing challenges and opportunities in the deconstruction of timber structures by the study of cases in which dis- and re-assembly are done. The study also aims to measure deconstructability by developing an indicator system for design for deconstruction of volumetric timber structures based on design for disassembly principles existing in ISO 20887:2020 and the practical principles of the case studies. This is done by interviewing people at five different companies who were engaged in the dis- and re-assembly of structures. The study of these cases shows the gap between disassembly principles and real-world experience from a learn-from-practice point of view. The developed tool as the indicator system is consisted of 25 indicators under seven principles and is able to measure and provide a deconstructability grade of structures out of 100 for each principle and a total deconstructability grade based on all principles. / Measurable Reusability for Wooden Houses (Mätbar Återbrukbarhet för Trähus)

I detta examensarbete har vi genomfört en designprocess och utvecklat ett tidigare projekt av en rumsavskiljare med inriktning i detta projekt på funktionalitet, form och estetik. Vi har arbetat utefter ett aktivitetsbaserat kontorslandskap där behovet varit att avskilja. I processen har vi lagt fokus på att följa behoven i ett kontorslandskap samt se till att den är produktionsanpassad och hållbar. Möbeln i det tidigare projektet gick inte att producera och uppfyllde inte behoven, vi har därför i det här projektet arbetat med att få en djupare förståelse kring detta. I denna rapport presenteras en rumsavskiljare anpassad för kontorsmiljö, med fokus på hållbarhet har den designats utifrån principerna Design for Assembly och Design for Disassembly men också med ett stort fokus på form och estetik. Den är konstruerad av enbart två material: varmpressat ull och pulverlackerat stål. Dessa två material kan beskrivas som kontraster till varandra, vilket är något vi arbetat med. Hårt möter mjukt, kallt möter varmt. Vi har lyckats få det kantiga, hårda och statiska stålet att upplevas mjuk, varm och dynamisk med hjälp av pressad ull. Ullet bidrar också till att rumsavskiljaren får ljudabsorberande egenskaper och kan därmed fungera som en ljudabsorbent.

Mendi (Mendi, 2020) is a company founded to provide accessibility of brain enhancement training to the ordinary citizen, they reside in Stockholm, Sweden. The Mendi brain training headset has been developed to aid users using neurofeedback. This technology allows for display of brain activity in real-time, and the implementation of the Mendi headset is meant to teach the user how to better regulate their brain activity. With the possibility to start sustainable design in conjunction with the market release of the product, this project was initiated to serve the future progress of sustainable development. The work conducted in this paper is based on development methods used to assess the current state of the product as well as the phases of the product life cycle in which sustainable solutions can be applied. The methods used are life cycle assessment, material research and analysis, design for disassembly, assessment of production and use, market research of similar products, and research literature on modern methodology in sustainable design. Quantitative assessment was created through comparative analysis using the program CES EduPack (Granta Design, 2019), where data of the current product is used as a reference throughout. This is combined with research findings of best practice in sustainable development of products; tools used in the development contained concept generation in the form of sketching, CAD, and 3D printing. The result is described quantitatively in the parts where data has been available, it is also presented through life cycle scenarios, giving examples from assumptions based on research of empirical studies and results from design methods used throughout. The result present scenarios of a redesigned product and how this differ from the existing prototype in the form of economic and, environmental sustainability. The final concept was created through guidelines of eco design, built around the previous work of the product for plausible implementation in upcoming development. The product uses snap-fits to enable disassembly, press-fit to avoid any mixing of materials, has reduced amount of materials and contains materials that lower the life cycle CO2 emission and energy use. Economic factors are similarly assessed, quantitative analysis of life cycle costs combined with assumption driven scenarios showing potential gains and losses that could occur from said changes. Combined, the results are meant to work as a guideline for any future endeavors made in the field of sustainable development by Mendi and their partners. / Mendi (Mendi, 2020) är ett företag som grundades för att ge den vanliga medborgaren tillgång till hjärnförbättringsträning, de är bosatta i Stockholm, Sverige. Mendi-headsetet för hjärnträning har utvecklats för att hjälpa användare genom något som kallas neurofeedback. Denna teknik möjliggör visning av hjärnaktivitet i realtid, och implementeringen av Mendi-headsetet är tänkt att lära användaren att bättre reglera sin hjärnaktivitet. Med möjligheten att starta hållbar design i samband med marknadsutsättningen av produkten inleddes detta projekt för att tjäna framtida framsteg inom hållbar utveckling. Arbetet i denna artikel bygger på utvecklingsmetoder som används för att bedöma produktens nuvarande tillstånd samt faserna i produktlivscykeln där hållbara lösningar kan tillämpas. De metoder som används är livscykelbedömning, materialforskning och analys, design för demontering, bedömning av produktion och användning, marknadsundersökning av liknande produkter och forskningslitteratur om modern metodik i hållbar design. Kvantitativ bedömning skapades genom jämförande analys med programmet CES EduPack, där data för den aktuella produkten används som referens genomgående. Detta kombineras med forskningsresultat om bästa praxis för hållbar utveckling av produkter; verktyg som användes i utvecklingen innehöll konceptgenerering i form av skisser, CAD och 3D-utskrift. Resultatet beskrivs kvantitativt i de delar där data har kunnat erhållas, det presenteras också genom livscykelscenarier, vilket ger exempel från antaganden baserade på forskning om empiriska studier och resultat från designmetoder som använts genomgående. Resultatet presenterar scenarier för en nydesignad produkt och hur denna skiljer sig från den befintliga prototypen i form av ekonomisk och miljömässig hållbarhet. Det sista konceptet skapades genom riktlinjer för eko-design, byggd kring produktens tidigare arbete för sannolik implementering i kommande utveckling. Produkten använder snäppanpassningar för att möjliggöra demontering, presspassning för att undvika blandning av material, har minskat antal olika material och innehåller material som sänker livscykeln CO2-utsläpp och energianvändning. Ekonomiska faktorer bedöms på liknande sätt, kvantitativ analys av livscykelkostnader i kombination med antagandedrivna scenarier som visar potentiella vinster och förluster som kan uppstå från tidigare nämnda förändringar. Sammantaget är resultaten avsedda att fungera som en riktlinje för framtida utveckling som görs inom området hållbar utveckling av Mendi och deras partners.

The North House is a proof-of-concept prefabricated solar powered home designed for northern climates, and intended for the research and promotion of high-performance sustainable architecture. Led by faculty at the University of Waterloo, the development and design of the project involved a broad collaboration between faculty and students at the University of Waterloo, with Ryerson University and Simon Fraser University. The North House prototype competed in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon in October of 2009. This thesis identifies the North House as a component-based building. It illustrates in detail the components of which the house is composed, the sequence by which they are assembled, and the details that allow for the building’s rapid assembly and disassembly. Finally, the thesis explores the possibilities afforded by componentbased architecture including adaptability, off-site fabrication and demountability. Drawing on this, the thesis projects future ways of designing buildings sustainable to both manufacture and operate.

The North House is a proof-of-concept prefabricated solar powered home designed for northern climates, and intended for the research and promotion of high-performance sustainable architecture. Led by faculty at the University of Waterloo, the development and design of the project involved a broad collaboration between faculty and students at the University of Waterloo, with Ryerson University and Simon Fraser University. The North House prototype competed in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon in October of 2009. This thesis identifies the North House as a component-based building. It illustrates in detail the components of which the house is composed, the sequence by which they are assembled, and the details that allow for the building’s rapid assembly and disassembly. Finally, the thesis explores the possibilities afforded by componentbased architecture including adaptability, off-site fabrication and demountability. Drawing on this, the thesis projects future ways of designing buildings sustainable to both manufacture and operate.

Människans negativa miljöpåverkan har orsakat att jordens temperaturökning har fördubblats på kort tid och vars åtgärd kräver omgående förändringar i samhället. Ett hållbart förhållningssätt är väsentligt för att inte äventyra kommande generationers förutsättningar på jorden. En omställning till en cirkulär ekonomi är nödvändigt för att gynna en hållbar utveckling. Byggsektorns resursanvändning och avfall orsakar en stor andel av samhällets miljöpåverkan och har en betydelsefull roll i den cirkulära övergången. Återbruk av bygg- och rivningsavfall är en viktig del av cirkulära strategier, men som sektorn varit långsamma på att implementera. Kandidatarbetet undersöker möjligheterna att utforma en mindre trävilla med hänsyn på återbruk. Syftet med studien är att framställa en förslagshandling för en trävilla som tar hänsyn på cirkulära strategier som möjliggör återbruk av de ingående komponenterna. Studien baseras på en kvalitativ metod som inledningsvis bestod av en litteraturstudie, därefter hölls workshop med aktörer i byggbranschen för att ta del av deras kunskaper inom ämnesområdet. I konsultation med aktörerna diskuterades möjligheter och svårigheter vid utformning av småhus med hänsyn till återbruksbara byggnadskomponenter. Studiens resultat visar att byggsektorn i största allmänhet är medvetna om de ekologiska fördelarna av cirkulära strategier som att projektera för demontering, men att dessa inte nyttjas i någon större utsträckning. Det beror delvis på byggsektorns okunskap om hur byggnaders utformning påverkar komponenternas möjlighet till återbruk och dels på osäkerheterna kring den ekonomiska lönsamheten. För att öka återbruk i byggsektorn kommer sektorn behöva ekonomiska incitament som nya avgifts- och beskattningsstrukturer. För att främja återbruk av ingående byggkomponenter är det viktigt att tidigt planera för komponenternas åtkomlighet, reparation och demontering. För att förenkla förändringsarbete och underhåll bör byggnaden utformas med stora öppna ytor och med en så stor andel prefabricerade moduler och komponenter. Byggnadens komponenter bör väljas med hänsyn på att de ska vara hållbara och lätta att hantera vid montering och demontering.

In the last years electric vehicles gained importance as a more sustainable alternative to traditional vehicles. The introduction of an electric powertrain leads to lower air-pollution emissions but it also involves the introduction of new materials in the product life cycle, e. g., the rare earths and lithium contained in the motor and in the batteries. Those materials have an environmental impact and they need to be disposed properly. The aim of this thesis is to have a quantitative knowledge of the environmental balance linked to the use of a different powertrain. Furthermore, this study explores how this balance can be modified improving the recycling and the end of life management. Specifically in this thesis, an average electric scooter has been chosen as a case study. The electric scooter is used as object of comparison with a traditional internal-combustion-engine scooter. The choice of a two-wheeled mean of transport is linked to the low level of facilities involved. This report first includes a definition of the case of study; this section also presents a description of the technologies taken into exam. It is also presented the result of interviews with dismantlers to depict the current process of EoL management of a scooter. The central part of thesis deals with different recycling scenarios. With the help of the Material Hygiene mind-set, a qualitative analysis and different recycling scenarios are proposed. The recycling scenarios involve the component of the electric powertrain that are peculiar of the electric vehicle. They mainly are the electric motor and the lithium battery pack. The last part of the analysis encompasses a Life Cycle Assessment of an average electric scooter to give a quantitative meaning to the life cycle comparison and to assess the environmental benefits of the proposed recycling scenarios. To perform the Life Cycle Assessment a software, SimaPro 7.3, is used. This software lets the user insert the bill of materials of the product and it associates to each material its environmental loads according to the database EcoInvent v.2.2. Keywords: electric scooter, lithium battery, permanent magnet, neodymium, Material Hygiene, Design for Disassembly, Life Cycle Assessment, LCA / Negli ultimi anni i veicoli elettrici sono emersi come un ’alternativa sostenibile ai veicoli tradizionali. L’introduzione di un gruppo propulsore elettrico permette emissioni inquinanti più basse ma comporta anche l’introduzione di nuovi materiali nel ciclo di vita del prodotto, e.g., le terre rare e il litio contenuti rispettivamente nel motore e nelle batterie. Questi materiali hanno un impatto ambientale e hanno bisogno di essere trattati correttamente. Lo scopo di questa tesi è di avere una comprensione quantitativa del bilancio dal punto di vista ambientale legato al l’adozione di sistema di propulsione elettrico. Inoltre, è indagato come questo bilanco possa essere influenzato migliorando il ricic laggio e la gestione dell’ultima fase di vita del prodotto. Nello specifico, in questa tesi, uno scooter elettrico è stato scelto come caso di studio. Lo scopo è di comparare questo scooter con uno tradizionale considerando il ciclo di vita del prodotto. Il mezzo di trasporto a due ruote è stato scelto perché considerato più semplice da modellare in quanto privo di componenti non inerenti al trasporto (es. aria condizionata, hi-fi, etc.). Questo report anzitutto include una definizione del caso di studio, questa sezione presenta anche una descrizione delle principali tecnologie coinvolte nel prodotto studiato. In questa parte del lavoro è anche riportato il risultato di interviste a rottamatori di scooter per illustrare l’attuale iter di rottamazione di uno scooter. La parte centrale della tesi tratta i differenti scenari di riciclaggio. Sfruttando la mentalità Material Hygiene vengono proposte un’analisi qualitativa e differenti scenari di rici claggio. Gli scenari di riciclaggio coinvologono il progettista a livelli differenti. Questi scenari riguardano i componenti del sistema di propulsione elettrico. Essi sono principalmente il motore elettrico e le batterie al litio. L’ultima parte dell’analisi riguarda il Life Cycle Assessment di uno scooter elettrico al fine di dare un significato quantitativo al confronto tra i cicli di vita delle due alternative. Inoltre, il life cycle assessment ha lo scopo di verificare e quantificare i benefici di impatto ambientale collegati all’adozione degli scenari di riciclaggio proposti. Per svolgere il Life Cycle Assessment è stato usato un sofware, SimaPro 7.3. Questo software permette all’utente di inserire l’elenco dei materiali di un prodotto e di associare a ciascun materiale il proprio impatto ambientale. Il software ha a disposizione per la modellazione i database di impatto ambientale EcoInvent 2.2. Parole chiave: scooter elettrico, batteria al litio, magnete permanente, neodimio, Material Hygiene, Design for Disassembly, Life Cycle Assessment, LCA

[pt] A necessidade de diminuir os impactos ambientais provenientes da indústria da construção civil estimulou a criação de acordos governamentais ao redor do mundo, métricas quantitativas de impactos ambientais, novos materiais e novas técnicas e conceitos para o desenvolvimento de projetos sustentáveis. A reutilização de materiais com alto índice de energia incorporada, como os elementos estruturais de aço, é considerada uma prática válida para atingir este objetivo, sendo mais sustentável do que a reciclagem do aço em termos de emissão de dióxido de carbono, energia incorporada, processamentos e, em alguns casos, transporte. O projeto para desmontar é um conceito aliado à prática de reutilização de aço estrutural e dos demais materiais de construção, promovendo o planejamento de desmontes futuros e contribuição da cadeia de suprimentos com materiais para reutilização. Além disso, o BIM fornece um ambiente promissor para a troca de informações durante todo o ciclo de vida da construção, assim como um novo fluxo de trabalho e informações na fase de concepção de projetos que promove melhorias nas tomadas de decisão no contexto de construções sustentáveis. Este trabalho propõe uma nova dinâmica de troca de informações através de um IDM (Information Delivery Manual) da concepção de um projeto com baixos índices de impactos ambientais a partir da Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida e reutilização de materiais. A Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida de cenários de uma edificação foi utilizado para desenvolver as tarefas propostas pelo IDM. Os resultados obtidos pelos experimentos indicam que o desenvolvimento de um projeto sustentável não interfere significativamente com os interesses econômicos, práticos, estéticos e que a inclusão da Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida é um fator importante nas tomadas de decisões na fase de projeto para melhorar o desempenho ambiental dos materiais utilizados. / [en] The necessity to reduce environmental impacts caused by construction industry promoted the creation of several government agreements around the world, quantitative measures of environmental impacts, new materials and new techniques and concepts for sustainable projects. Reusing materials with a high index of embodied energy, such as structural steel elements, is considered a valid practice to achieve this objective. Steel reuse is more sustainable than recycling in terms of carbon dioxide emissions, embodied energy, processing and, in some cases, transportation. The DfD (Design for Disassembly) is a concept allied to the practice of structural steel reuse and other building materials, planning future disassembly and contributing to the supply chain with reusable materials. Moreover, BIM provides a promising environment for the exchange of information throughout the buildings life cycle, as well as a new workflow in the conceptual design phase, which improves the decision making process in the context of sustainable constructions. This work proposes a new dynamic in terms of information exchange through an IDM (Information Delivery Manual) for developing a project with low levels of environmental impact using LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) and material reuse. A building s LCA study was used to develop the analysis and interpretation of environmental impact of projects conceived using the proposed IDM. The results indicate that the development of a sustainable project does not significantly interfere with the economic, practical and aesthetic interests and that including LCA is an important parameter in decision-making at the design stage to improve the environmental performance of the materials used.

La démographie et les modes de vie ont considérablement évolué au cours des dernières décades. De tels changements sont destinés à influencer la conception de l’habitation et ils incluent notamment une série de besoins émergents: s’en suivent des besoins additionnels en espace pour répondre à l’arrivée de ces activités additionnelles au niveau du logement. La planification en vue de répondre à ces besoins émergeants constitue le principal thème de la présente thèse. Dans le cas de la maison unifamiliale détachée, le sous-sol est disponible pour offrir des espaces appropriés à ces besoins émergents. Par contre, une telle ressource n’est normalement pas présente dans le cas d’un édifice multifamilial. La thèse propose un espace additionnel spécifique en vue de répondre à ces besoins émergents : l’espace supplétif. Même si un tel espace n’est pas envisagé dans les publications du domaine, des précédents existent quant à sa présence en planification multifamiliale. Le but de la présente étude est d’offrir des lignes directrices quant à la conception et l’intégration d’un tel espace supplétif. Elle va s’appuyer sur l’approche systémique en raison de la logique de déduire la solution à partir d’une analyse de l’objectif. L’application de l’approche systémique implique donc que tous les critères correspondant à la nature spécifique de l’espace supplétif seront extrapolés à partir de l’objectif. Dans le cas la présente étude, ce sont les critères du bureau à domicile qui seront d’abord précisés car il s’agit de l’activité émergente la plus exigeante. Les critères seront traités comme vecteurs d’un modèle générique indicatif de la manière d’organiser l’espace supplétif. Ce modèle visera le bureau à domicile en vue d’offrir les solutions pertinentes et il se concentrera principalement sur les critères d’intimité visuelle et spatiale. La contribution du modèle sera de suggérer des lignes directrices en vue d’incorporer l’espace supplétif à l’intérieur des édifices résidentiels de type multifamilial, ce que la planification conventionnelle n’offre pas. C’est le concept d’adaptabilité qui est à la base de toute stratégie visant à permettre le changement en architecture et en habitation, d’autant plus lorsqu’il s’agit d’un espace supplétif. À cet effet, l’espace supplétif va recourir à l’approche Open Building afin d’appliquer le concept d’adaptabilité, en raison de ses avantages majeurs tant au niveau conceptuel que constructif. Différentes applications de l’approche Open Building, telles que le projet NEXT21 et le protocole KSI (Kikou support and Infill), offrent des exemples susceptibles de constituer d’efficaces lignes directrices pour la conception d’un espace supplétif. La faisabilité du modèle d’espace supplétif proposé est vérifiable et démontrable dans le monde réel. Les systèmes constructifs industrialisés sont en mesure de permettre le changement sans démolition car leurs joints mécaniques « à sec » rencontrent généralement les normes DfD (Design for Disassembly), non seulement en ce qui concerne l’espace supplétif mais pour l’ensemble du logement. / Demographics and lifestyles have changed considerably in the past few decades. These changes are bound to influence the design of housing and they notably include a series of emerging needs: additional spatial needs due to additional activities brought to the traditional housing premises. Planning for those emerging needs is the main theme of this thesis. In a typical single-family detached house, the basement is available to accommodate the spatial requirements for these emerging needs. However, such a provision does not typically exist in multi-family housing. This thesis proposes a specific additional space to accommodate these emerging needs: the supplementary space. Although such a space has not been explored in the literature, there are precedents for its application in multi-family floor planning. The objective of this study is to provide guidelines for the design and the integration of this supplementary space. It relies on the systems approach as the design-decision methodology due to its logic of deducting the solution from the analysis of the objective. Applying the systems approach means that all the criteria corresponding to the specific purpose of the supplementary space will be extrapolated from the objective. However, once the supplementary space is being used to deal with emerging needs, it will then introduce its own relevant criteria. This study will start with the criteria for designing a home office because this is the most demanding emerging needs activity. The criteria are organized as vectors of a generic model indicating how the supplementary space can be formulated. The model will target the workplace at home and subsequently offer solutions to them. This study focuses on the planning provisions dealing mainly with visual and spatial privacy. The overall outcome of the model is to suggest guidelines to incorporate the supplementary space within multi-family residential buildings, a feature not offered in traditional planning. The concept of adaptability is the key design strategy to accommodate change in architecture and housing, even more in the case of a supplementary space. Therefore, the supplementary space model will apply the concept of adaptability through the Open Building (OB) approach; elaborating more on the practical design and construction features. Different OB applications, such as the NEXT21 project and the KSI (Kikou Support and Infill) protocol in Japan, are examples that can be used as efficient guidelines to design a supplementary space. The feasibility of the supplementary space model can be validated and served in the real world. Industrialized building systems are capable of accommodating change without demolition as their dry mechanical joints are generally at meeting the DfD (design for disassembly) standards, not only for the supplementary space but also for the whole dwelling unit.