The Circular Home: Development and Demonstration of a Net-Negative-Carbon, Reusable Residence
Technology Description:
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) team will develop an innovative design process and modular building system to construct a single-family home that is carbon-negative cradle-to-grave. The team will design the Circular Home primarily of biogenic materials, in a manner that will create zero operational carbon, and design it for easy disassembly and reassembly for reuse and minimal waste generation. Major components remain in use for three times longer time than the expected 50-year lifespan of a conventionally constructed single-family dwelling, ensuring the initial design will compound carbon sequestration benefits. Compared with initial carbon cost, the proposed design’s greenhouse gas emissions will equate to 71% avoided carbon in the second building iteration and 52% in the third. This transformative all-electric, volumetric modular design will provide flexibility to meet changing needs over the life cycle of the building while still minimizing cost.