The international conference Circularity in the Built Environment (CiBEn 2025) will take place in Tampere, Finland, from 16–18 September, bringing together leading voices in research, policy, and practice around circular construction. ReCreate will have a strong presence throughout the programme, with more than 20 presentations spanning across themes such as deconstruction, quality management, design, logistics, and policy.
The sessions highlight the breadth of expertise within the project and demonstrate how the reuse of precast concrete elements can transform the construction sector.
Programme highlights
Tuesday, 16 September
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10:00–11:00 – Opening address: ReCreate coordinator Satu Huuhka will set the stage for the conference.
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13:00–14:50 (Urban mining 1, Room Duetto 2) – José Hernández Vargas will present an integrated GIS and BIM approach for mapping Sweden’s precast building stock.
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15:20–17:15 – Parallel sessions featuring ReCreate research:
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Assessment 1 (Duetto 1): Emmi Salmio on the environmental benefits of reusing hollow-core slabs.
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Quality management 1 (Duetto 2): Inari Weijo and Niko Kotkavuo on condition investigation and the history of hollow-core slabs in Finland.
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Policy & social 1 (Riffi): Paul Jonker-Hoffrén on decision-making moments in circular construction, and Tove Malmqvist on hazardous substances in reused concrete.
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Wednesday, 17 September
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09:00–11:10 (Design 2, Duetto 2) – A strong ReCreate panel on reuse-driven design, including Patrick Teuffel, Simon Wijte, and Marcel Vullings. Topics range from AI-supported design tools to the role of databases in successful reuse.
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13:10–15:20 –
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Value chains 1 (Duetto 1): Arlind Dervishaj on smart logistics for reuse.
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Design 3 (Riffi): Christoph Henschel on combining reused precast elements with other materials for flexible design.
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15:50–18:00 –
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Assessment 3 (Duetto 1): Ahmad Al-Najjar on the availability and carbon reduction potential of reclaimed elements in Sweden.
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Decommissioning (Duetto 2): Jukka Lahdensivu and Thijs Lambrechts on evaluating and reconnecting deconstructed precast elements.
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Thursday, 18 September
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09:00–10:50 (Products, Duetto 1) – Agnese Scalbi and Arlind Dervishaj will present innovative mechanical systems and reconditioning techniques for reusable precast elements.
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12:50–14:20 –
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Quality management 3 (Duetto 1): Benjamin Matthews and Aapo Räsänen on deriving design values and best practices for reclaimed elements.
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Design 4 (Duetto 2): Helena Westerlind on adaptive architectural transformations.
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14:50–16:15 –
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Value chains 2 (Duetto 1): José Hernández Vargas on structured databases of reusable precast elements.
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Infrastructure (Duetto 2): Marlene Schulz on Deutsche Bahn’s circular real estate strategy.
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The wide scope of ReCreate’s contributions demonstrates the project’s leadership in advancing research and practice on reuse of precast concrete elements. From technical innovations to policy frameworks, these presentations will provide valuable insights for stakeholders across the built environment.
