Starting from 2025 until 2028, Lille Metropole together with 9 operating partners and 7 associated partners (see list below) will carry out a European project on the transformation of office buildings into affordable and social housing.

Land is becoming more and more of a scarce resource and Lille Metropole is experiencing a growing shortage of housing (particularly social housing). At the same time, the building construction sector needs to develop new methods to become ecologically virtuous and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Applying the principles of the circular economy to buildings is therefore indispensable. That means successfully converting buildings from one type of use to another to suit local needs, and enhance reusing construction materials.

Most of the NWE urban areas face similar issues and challenges:

- Strong demand for affordable and social housing but insufficient offer;

- Scarcity of available urban land (zero net landtake policies);

- Vacant office buildings from the 1970s to 90s, not meeting environmental standards and current business needs;

- Lack of standardised technical solutions for converting offices into housing, particularly at affordable costs;

- Need to help the building sector accelerate and adopt circular economy practices, increasing lifespan and re-use of buildings structures and materials.

Given these common challenges, European cooperation brings real benefits to local authorities and project developers. Circular Building Convert (CBC) aims to answer these environmental, economic and social challenges by converting office buildings into affordable and social housing. The project aims also to innovate by proposing an economic business model to deploy conversion projects for the benefit of people with low/mid income.

To achieve these objectives, the partnership will develop replicable solutions based on two pilots (one in Lille Metropole and one in Limburg in the Netherlands), thus creating 220 housing units (1/3 social housing). The solutions will answer technical problems: adding balconies, flat design, housing regulations, integration of data on reuse in BIM (Building Information Modeling), on-site logistic of material reuse... The solutions will be capitalised in a joint strategy for local authorities and professionals. Its deployment in NWE area and the long-term impact will also be ensured thanks to a tailored transnational training programme for at least 100 elected representatives, civil servants and housing and construction professionals.

Developing these solutions requires bringing together a variety of specialised competences and skills that we have assembled through a variety of partners (social housing landlords, universities, training centres, local authorities) coming from five countries (France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Ireland). Pooling our efforts will enable us to overcome the obstacles encountered in each country and achieve our common objectives to deliver solutions for the benefit of the whole NWE.

Lille Metropole Habitat, the social housing landlord of Lille Metropole, a major player in social housing and development policy in the metropolitan area, is the lead partner of the project.

The full list of partners is as follows:

Operating partners:

- Lille Metropole (Métropole Européenne de Lille) (FR)

- Delft University of technology (NL)

- Laboratory for Green Transformable Buildings (NL)

- Wonen Limburg Accent Ltd. (NL)

- Municipality of Heerlen (NL)

- University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (DE)

- CD2E - Accelerator of the ecological transition (FR)

- Municipality of Etterbeek (BE)

- RetroKit Ltd. (IE)

Associated partners:

- Perspective Brussels (BE)

- CSTB (Centre scientifique et technique du bâtiment) (FR)

- Stadsregio Parkstad Limburg (NL)

- ICLEI

- Housing Europe

- Carbery Housing

- Conseil des Architectes d’Europe

Illustration source: Saison Menu