How Belgium’s building sector is turning circular ambitions into measurable action.
“We are not building buildings. We are building resilience.” — Gilles Vanvolsem, Managing Director, Belgian Green Building Council
Circularium Brussels became the meeting point for a sector in transition. On 16 October 2025, the Circular Real Estate Belgium conference gathered developers, architects, financiers, contractors, and policymakers to explore how circular construction can move from ambition to mainstream reality.
Organised under the theme Building for the Future: From Regulation to Realisation, the event marked a turning point for Belgium’s built environment — one where regulation, innovation, and market readiness are beginning to align.
A New Mindset for Building Resilience
Moderator Gilles Vanvolsem, Managing Director of the newly founded Belgian Green Building Council (BGBC), opened the day by reframing circular construction as a societal mission rather than a technical constraint.
“The challenge,” he said, “is not how circular we can be, but what kind of society we want to build.”
Vanvolsem called for faster permitting, stronger investment flows, and closer collaboration across public and private actors. “Real estate and construction protect,” he added. “They build resilience. There is so much we can do. So I am positive. The question is how we make that shift together.”
The BGBC — now part of the global network of Green Building Councils — aims to harmonise life-cycle assessment methods and circularity measurement in Belgium, helping the industry move from isolated best practices to consistent, scalable standards.
What’s Blocking the Market?
The day’s first panel confronted the realities of market friction head-on.
“Circularity must be a company value, not a marketing label.”— Stéphan Sonneville, CEO, Atenor
Stéphan Sonneville (Atenor) likened today’s market to “a complex cocktail of familiar but volatile ingredients.” While circular projects exist, particularly in public development, the market has yet to recognise their added value. He argued that circularity begins with the reuse of land and existing buildings, supported by fiscal and planning incentives.
For Frederik Jacobs, CEO of Conix RDBM Architects, transparency is the missing link. “We need a single, coherent circularity scoring system across the EU,” he said. “Without it, architects face uncertainty about which criteria to design for and at what cost.”
Marie De Laet, Sustainability Manager at Group Van Roey, described circularity as “a method for risk mitigation,” but stressed the importance of feasibility on site. “We need clear incentives and transparent standards to specify, evaluate, and communicate circularity,” she said, noting the need for insurance clarity and trained supply chains.
From the finance sector, Kris Liesse, Head of Real Estate Finance at ING Belgium, connected circular construction with banking’s climate goals. “Banks must achieve CO₂ neutrality by 2050 — including our lending portfolios,” he said. Standardisation, he argued, is essential to allow lenders to value circular assets as financial performers, not just compliance tick-boxes.
The discussion revealed growing consensus that embodied carbon and lifecycle assessment will soon define market value — and that regulation is likely to accelerate, not hinder, the transition.
When Circular Construction Works
After a short networking break, the conference turned to a concrete example. Komet Mechelen, an urban development in collaboration between the City of Mechelen, Revive and Jacobs Beton amongst others, demonstrates that circular construction can deliver both quality and impact.
Kurt Jacobs, CEO of Jacobs Beton, shared the story as a true entrepreneur and that success of circularity depends on persistence and mindset. “Technology is not the challenge — making usage of it mandatory and the right mindset are,” he said. Jacobs argued that trust and clear demand are essential. “It’s not a financial hurdle — it’s about confidence.” The Komet case showed that quality and performance are achievable when clients, cities, and producers align early on shared goals.
Concrete exits of stone and sand. “First we were able to reuse only the stones, now we can also reuse the sand to cement. That is groundbreaking innovation.” His company now produces concrete with up to 60% recycled aggregates, after seven years of development. This next step can use 100% of the material which will lower the cost to use it in the future. A fantastic new step!
From Ambition to Reality
The afternoon session examined how to integrate circularity across the full lifecycle of buildings, from design to reuse.
For Xavier Callens, Chief Creative Director at B2Ai, adaptability is central. “Buildings can live many lives,” he said. “Transformative sustainability begins by embracing what’s already there, not overwriting it.” He warned against over-engineering in pursuit of energy neutrality: “You can have many solar panels and still act unwisely. Circularity must make sense economically and socially.”
Wim Straetmans, Managing Director of BAM Interbuild, drew on lessons from the Netherlands, advocating for flexible building design and integrated procurement. “Don’t think only about the next tenant,” he said. “Design for the next function.” An important statement Wim Straetmans made was that circulairity is about numbers. Focus on the things to do first that has the largest impact. Numbers as the highest CO2 saving as well as the weight. We should start with concrete and invest in making that circular. This has the largest footprint in a building.
From a materials perspective, Guillaume Nijdam, Sustainability Manager at Reynaers Group, highlighted traceability and data transparency. “Decision-makers cannot be specialists in every material,” he explained. “Digital product passports and lifecycle data are crucial to make informed, responsible choices.”
“Sustainability cannot be solved by looking at one number or one perspective. You have to see the whole picture.”
— Guillaume Nijdam, Reynaers Group
The discussion reinforced that harmonised European regulation, credible data, and early collaboration will determine how quickly circularity becomes standard practice.
A Shared Vision for 2030 and beyond
As the sessions concluded, a clear narrative had emerged: circular construction in Belgium is moving from regulation to realisation.
Speakers repeatedly emphasised three priorities:
- Standardisation — establishing common European metrics for circularity and lifecycle impact;
- Collaboration — engaging designers, builders, financiers, and regulators from day one;
- Incentives — rewarding circular performance through finance, taxation, and procurement.
Vanvolsem closed the conference by reminding the audience that the built environment is central to resilience in a changing world.
“Circularity in buildings is the new challenge — with increasing obligations for transparency and measurable results. The market will evolve rapidly on waste management, material choices, and design for disassembly.” – Gilles Vanvolcem, director BGBC
From Brussels to Mechelen, the momentum is tangible. As Belgium’s real estate sector looks toward 2030, circularity is no longer an abstract ideal — it is becoming a measurable, investable, and shared reality.
The 10 key takeaways from our speakers:
- Circularity is about numbers — start where you can have the biggest impact. Think in weight and scale. Circular concrete can make a real difference.
- It’s also about mindset. Our kids buy second-hand and call it vintage — we can do the same in construction.
- Reuse structures where possible. Renovation beats demolition.
- When new builds are needed, design for flexibility — offices that can become apartments, schools, or even parking spaces.
- Circular concrete innovation is here — every part can now be reused – a real big step!
- With the ‘Beton Akkoord’, cities took the first step. Now they need to act: include circular concrete in project specifications.
- It’s not about ticking boxes — we all know this is the direction we must go.
- Include embodied carbon in your calculations — that’s where real progress happens.
- Banks must become CO₂ neutral too. This will influence project financing, value, and lending criteria — circular buildings will benefit.
- Let’s not make all this optional. Regulators should embed circularity into law and permits — not through more paperwork, but by rewarding long-term, high-impact choices.
Circular Real Estate Belgium is organised to bring together leaders from across the value chain to shape the future of circular construction. This was the eight edition founded by Management Productions.
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