Villa Welpeloo is a residential home with storage for the residents' art collection, an exhibition space, a studio, and a guest house. The project prioritised sustainability, achieving a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions and a 60% reduction in raw material usage compared to traditional construction methods.

The initial phase of the design process for Villa Welpeloo required an extended timeline as architects faced the challenge of sourcing suitable reused materials. This process included conducting extensive research, performing rigorous material tests to ensure quality and safety, and engaging in consultations with engineers to navigate the complexities of material reuse. Challenges, such as the toxicity of railway slabs (initially intended for the building's structure) and the lack of standardised processing methods, required design adjustments and on-site modifications.

The project adopted a ‘dynamic final design’ approach, allowing flexibility to incorporate reclaimed materials as they become available, enabling high levels of reuse.

Approximately 60% of the materials, including the steel structure (90%), floors, insulation, facade cladding, and custom cabinetry, were repurposed from local waste sources. Everyday objects like umbrella spokes and plastic coffee cups were used creatively for fixtures and wall cladding.

This project served as a proof of concept for Superuse’s material harvesting strategy and laid the foundation for future circular building projects. This includes the creation of Oogstkaart, an online platform for mapping and tracking waste materials. This tool streamlined material sourcing and laid the groundwork for more efficient circular construction in the future.

Relying on locally sourced repurposed materials resulted in the building using 60% reclaimed materials and decreasing the construction's CO2 emissions by 90%. The project minimised its impact on biodiversity by avoiding extracting and processing natural resources.

By addressing challenges such as the unpredictability of material properties and the absence of standardised methods, this project highlights how tools like the harvest map can simplify the integration of reclaimed materials and pave the way for smoother circular construction workflows.