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Rethinking building - with the DECORATOR model
03.03.2025
New tool for sustainable solutions in the construction industry: As the first interim result of the EU Interreg project DECORATOR, which we have been working on for a year, we have designed the DECORATOR model together with landscape architect and regional and organizational developer Astrid Köppel. This model is much more than a theoretical concept - it is a decision-support tool that promotes the transition to a circular economy in the construction industry.
The DECORATOR model is based on the cradle-to-cradle (C2C) approach and views building materials as nutrients in a well-thought-out, metabolic construction process. The aim is to maintain the quality of raw materials in the long term and completely eliminate the idea of waste. It calls for the sustainable handling of all resources and the creation of a circular cycle throughout the entire life cycle of a building - from planning to recycling.
A central element of the model is collaboration: the DECORATOR model promotes proactive networking between stakeholders in the construction industry to strengthen sustainable innovation. This cooperative approach requires overcoming competitive hurdles - because the future of construction does not lie in working against each other, but in developing new solutions together.
DECORATOR Canvas: The tool for sustainable collaboration
A key tool for promoting this collaboration is the DECORATOR Canvas. It helps to identify new partnerships, ask the right questions and facilitate cooperation across industry boundaries. This canvas visualizes sustainable business models and enables stakeholders to combine the principles of C2C and the New European Bauhaus and apply them in practice.
The canvas is designed to look at the entire construction process: From design and choice of materials to the use and deconstruction of buildings. It helps to make targeted decisions and develop innovative solutions that meet the requirements of a circular construction industry.
Pilot projects and future prospects
The DECORATOR model is being tested in five pilot projects this year in order to test and further develop its effectiveness. These pilot projects offer the opportunity to test the model under real conditions and adapt it further so that it can become an important component of a sustainable construction industry.
By combining existing solutions and networking different sectors, new, sustainable paths for the construction of the future are being created. The DECORATOR model pursues a holistic perspective that combines technology, aesthetics, culture and social innovation in the spirit of the New European Bauhaus. It builds a bridge between digitalization, green technologies and design to drive sustainable innovation.
The path to a sustainable construction industry
The DECORATOR model is the first step towards a circular construction industry that combines environmental, social and economic sustainability. By promoting cooperation and interdisciplinarity as well as close collaboration between different stakeholders, the DECORATOR model offers a practical approach to establishing cradle-to-cradle solutions in the construction industry.
We are only at the beginning of this transformation process. But if we combine the New European Bauhaus with a green and digital transformation, we can develop and implement real, sustainable solutions for the construction industry.
