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Introduction: Ioannis Anastasopoulos, Head of Department D-BAUG, ETH Zurich ABSTRACT: The current construction industry runs on a resource-intensive linear model of take, make, use and waste, treating buildings as disposable products. However, reusing existing materials is essential for reducing waste, conserving resources and lowering greenhouse gas emissions, yet current practices remain fragmented and difficult to scale. What happens to the old glass of the Centre Pompidou when it is replaced? Drawing on her work on the reuse of this iconic façade, Catherine De Wolf will trace how real-world lessons shaped the “Digital Circular Construction Model” that follows materials from deconstruction to reconstruction. Combining computer vision, scan-to-BIM, robotics, digital product passports, knowledge graphs, AI-assisted design and digital fabrication, the model transforms existing buildings into reusable material resources and connects reclaimed elements with future applications. Case studies such as the deconstruction of the Huber Pavilions and their reassembly into artworks and everyday buildings demonstrate this circular workflow at full scale. The lecture will reflect on how research, teaching and interdisciplinary collaboration enable the shift from today’s resource-intensive linear practices toward a future where circular construction is a scalable reality. BIOGRAPHY: Catherine De Wolf (*1989) is Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Circular Engineering for Architecture at the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering at ETH Zurich and is affiliated with Empa. She studied civil engineering and architecture in Brussels and obtained her PhD in Building Technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Following positions at the University of Cambridge, EPFL and TU Delft, she joined ETH Zurich in 2021. Professor De Wolf leads the Innosuisse Flagship SWIRCULAR and has secured competitive funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), the European Union, industry and foundations. She chairs the Advisory Board of Design++, co-founded the Library of Reuse and the Digital Circular Economy Lab, and was invited to exhibit at venues such as Kunsthalle Zürich, Art Genève and the Venice Architecture Biennale. Her books include A Circular Built Environment in the Digital Age and The Art of Connecting. In 2023, MIT Technology Review named her one of 35 Innovators Under 35 worldwide, across all fields of technology. D-BAUG: The Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering aims to engineer a sustainable world by addressing three major societal challenges: “Increasing Urbanisation”, “Sustainable Infrastructure” and “Changing Environment”. Professor De Wolf’s work speaks to all three. By treating the existing building stock as a resource, her work eases pressure on land and raw materials, while the reuse of construction materials cuts waste, conserves resources, and lowers greenhouse gas emissions of one of the world’s most polluting sectors. Through hands-on projects, she brings circular construction into teaching and builds collaborations across ETH Zurich and beyond, connecting academia, industry, government, the arts and the wider public.

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