CEA at the 6th International Conference on Structures and Architecture 2025
Catherine De Wolf, Heidi Silvennoinen and Vanessa Schwarzkopf presented their research at ICSA2025, hosted by the University of Antwerp
Members of the Chair of Circular Engineering for Architecure presented their research at the 6th International Conference on Structures and Architecture (ICSA), hosted by the University of Antwerp on 8–11 July 2025.
Professor Catherine De Wolf participated in the critical practice discussion with other experts in sustainable and circular construction. She also presented a prototype joint from the award-winning CEA project CircÛbi with an associated material passport in augmented reality implemented by Sandra Hurek and other CEA members.
Doctoral student Heidi Silvennoinen presented "Circularity Assessment of 3D-Printed Polymer Façades", a paper investigating the potential of 3D-printed polymer façades (3DPFs) to improve the circularity of glass façades. The paper concludes that 3DPFs may offer a unique circularity advantage when made of small batches of locally recycled, abundant waste materials that are, in turn, recycled in a closed-loop manner.
Doctoral student Vanessa Schwarzkopf presented "Fostering Creativity using AI towards a Circular Economy in Architectural Engineering Design", a paper investigating how generative AI can be used to explore image-to-image and text-to-image generators to creatively manage and imaginatively apply building component databases for circular design. The paper suggests that a co-design approach with generative AI can support human creativity by forging a new aesthetic paradigm in architecture focused on the creative amalgamation of distinct elements.
Read the papers, published open access in external page Structures and Architecture: REstructure REmaterialize REthink REuse, edited by Mario Rinke and Marie Frier Hvejsel, here: external page Silvennoinen 2025; external page Schwarzkopf 2025.
Photo of Vanessa Schwarzkopf by Rose-Ann Melis.
The Chair of Circular Engineering for Architecture (CEA) develops research on matching reused architectural materials with people and projects through digitalization for a circular built environment. For more information visit our webpage.