Dordrecht has been able to reach a new level in their quest to become a circular city. In a collaboration that was initiated by Clean Tech Delta, New Horizon will assess the potential of using secondary materials from two municipal buildings, to be used in the construction of the new city offices. Urban Mining company New Horizon will be responsible for the “mining” of these old buildings. The project marks an important step in implementing key principles from the circular economy in the building sector in Dordrecht.
Circular Dordrecht
The municipality of Dordrecht has formulated ambitious goals to transition to a circular economy, thereby creating job opportunities and a well-balanced residential work environment. Clean Tech Delta collaborates with Metabolic, a consultancy agency focused on sustainability, on conducting circular economy analyses for the municipality Dordrecht. The implementation of circularity in Dordrecht focuses on two main sectors within Dordrecht: the building and construction sector and the manufacturing industry. These sectors are emphasized because they are of particular importance to the economy of Dordrecht. The collaboration with New Horizon on the mining of building materials from old buildings perfectly fits with the municipality’s ambitions.
New Horizon Urban Mining
New Horizon specializes in deconstructing buildings with the aim to secure materials that can be re-used for the construction of new buildings. This technique is called Urban Mining, since old buildings are used to “mine” reusable materials. “We don’t demolish, we reap”, is the slogan used by New Horizon.
The new building at the Spuiboulevard will house the municipality of Dordrecht and Drechtsteden, the library and Dordrecht Marketing. It will be called Huis van Stad en Regio (House of City and Region). It is expected to open in 2024.