President Tsai Ing-wen's "200,000 Social Housing Units in Eight Years" policy is expected to be achieved through leasing and management of 80,000 units and direct construction of 120,000 units. Currently, the leasing and management program has resulted in a cumulative matchmaking of 66,000 units, with 74,623 completed and awarded. Yesterday (the 24th), the National Housing and Urban Renewal Center, in partnership with the Circular Taiwan Foundation, held the "Homes of Tomorrow: Introducing the Circular Economy into Social Housing Forum." Hua Jingqun, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior and Acting Chairman of the National Housing and Urban Renewal Center, pledged to continue working with manufacturers to develop viable business models and incorporate the circular economy into social housing contracts. "The circular economy shouldn't just be an idea; it needs to be truly implemented."
Modular circular architecture: reconstruct as you dismantle
A circular economy is key to achieving net zero. Zheng Changfang, Senior Sustainability Consultant at ARUP, pointed out that 55% of global carbon emissions come from energy, while 45% comes from product manufacturing and consumption. Switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy can only reduce carbon emissions by half. In addition to requiring building energy efficiency, the circular economy must also be implemented, with carbon emission intensity clearly specified in public housing tender documents.
Zheng Changfang pointed out that the core of circular architecture is "easy-to-disassemble design". Hong Kong's first modular integrated (MiC) building, innocell, adopts an all-in-one modular design and is assembled by crane, which cuts the construction time in half. This allows Hong Kong's public housing to enter the modular era and facilitates the reuse of building materials.
Construction costs have continued to rise in recent years. Guo Yingzhao, principal architect at Jiudian United Architects, noted that the cost differential for precast modular construction has been eliminated, making it no more expensive than traditional methods. However, Zheng Changfang admitted that modularization requires a larger area for assembly and needs to be reassessed for its ability to withstand typhoons and earthquakes.
The long recycling period of modular building materials has deterred many construction companies. Xie Jiye, chairman of Fengyu United Engineering, pointed out that Taiwan can build a large number of social housing units with the government taking the lead in "rebuilding as it was demolished", bidding for R&D and production factories, breaking the case-by-case contract signing model, developing recyclable building materials, extending the service life of building materials, and providing equipment services.
Extending lifespan: Japan's experience in building repair systems
To extend the lifespan of a building, a long-term renovation plan is essential. Yang Shih-hong, executive director of the Taiwan Property Management Association, stated that because different building components have different lifespans, they should be maintained according to their respective life cycles. Preventive renovations, rather than post-failure repairs, can help reduce building failure rates.
Japan is the first country in the world to promote a building repair system. Lin Xixun, general manager of the Tokyo Property Management Agency, pointed out that large-scale renovation projects in Japanese apartment buildings are carried out every 11.8 years on average. Therefore, in 2008, it was stipulated that buildings must formulate a 30-year long-term renovation plan, including exterior wall repairs, waterproofing projects, elevator updates, etc., and review it every five years.
The biggest energy consumer in buildings remains ongoing operations and maintenance. Chen Guanhan, Deputy Director of the Land Development Department at Taiwan Sugar Corporation, revealed the practical challenges of the "Shalun House." Shalun House is a smart, green, and recyclable building constructed by Taiwan Sugar Corporation at its Shalun Park in Tainan. It is also Taiwan's first building project to implement a circular economy.
Chen Guanhan said that high-energy-consuming public facilities can effectively reduce peak electricity consumption after control, but energy consumption in private residences can only be monitored but not supervised, so the actual electricity consumption after operation exceeds expectations.
Source: Environmental Information Center (https://e-info.org.tw/node/236837)
