Over the course of the past few years, circularity has risen markedly on the agenda of the construction sector. An increasing number of companies in different fields, ranging from architecture to building services, are experimenting with circular practices such as reusing discarded building materials, optimizing the adaptive potential of their designs or shifting operations to a service-based economy.

At the same time, the urgent need for housing in an increasingly urbanized society is threatening the ambitions of the Dutch government to minimize the use of (critical) resources. To resolve the tension between these opposing objectives requires innovative solutions and sufficient capacity to carry them out.

The Circular Skills program, run by the cooperative Leren voor Morgen, aims to contribute to the circular transition of the construction sector by skilling the future workforce through circular vocational training programs. 

In order to achieve this goal, we must first identify (potential) skill gaps in the circular economy. This report is the first in a series of publications in which we work towards a clear set of skills required to successfully perform circular practices in different occupations in the construction sector. In this report, we identify 7 trends in circular design, construction, development and building services. Based on these outcomes, we will conduct a thorough consultation with leading actors in the Dutch circular construction sector to distill the required skills and capacities from the most important trends.