How It Turned Out for the Palm House in Trace4Value

In a previous article, we described how the greenhouses at the Botanical Garden in Lund became a testbed for circular material flows within Trace4Value. We now follow up on the work carried out at the Palm House and show how the lessons learned are being carried forward into subsequent projects.

The demonstration work at the Palm House has provided insights into how digital tools can support circular flows in construction processes. The project focused on glass as a material, enabling an in-depth analysis and method development within a clearly defined material flow. At the same time, the ambition is for the method to eventually encompass additional material types, allowing for larger volumes and broader application of circular recycling.

By creating a BIM model of the greenhouse, the project was able to collect and structure data about the glass – information required to assess how the material could circulate further. The demonstration phase within Trace4Value has now been completed, while the physical renovation is still ongoing under the management of the National Property Board of Sweden.

– The BIM model helped us gather and organize the data needed to assess what could be recycled and what was suitable for reuse. It also enabled us to calculate volumes for reuse – something that proved particularly valuable when it became clear that some of the windows had cultural heritage value, says Karin Wannerberg, Project Manager at Ragn-Sells and partner in Trace4Value.

The model, based on 3D scanning, functioned as a digital mirror of the Palm House. By enriching it with information about material properties, a decision-making basis was created for how the glass could be handled in a structured way. In this way, the project could trace the glass from inventory to further processing, either through recycling or reuse.

Experiences from the Palm House, as well as from other demonstrations within Trace4Value, indicate that recycling often offers clearer economies of scale compared with reuse when the objective is to increase the inflow of recycled raw materials into industry and production. Reuse can generate significant value, but in practice it is often difficult to match available products with a new recipient within a reasonable timeframe. For flat glass and windows, long lead times may reduce the possibility of high-quality recycling, particularly where storage capacity is lacking. Several project partners have highlighted this as an important insight.

The work was carried out in close collaboration with White Arkitekter, who were responsible for developing the BIM model and ensuring its practical usability across different stages of the construction process. The collaboration made it possible to combine technical traceability with an understanding of the building’s cultural heritage values, which proved important in identifying reuse potential already at the design stage.

The Palm House demonstrates how traceability and structured data can contribute to more informed decision-making in circular construction processes. The experiences from this work are now being carried forward within SwePass, where the development of digital tools and methods for traceability in circular value chains continues.

Lessons from other demonstrations within Trace4Value also show how conditions may differ between buildings. At Njupkärr School in Tyresö, a manual inventory was conducted in Excel, and all glass was sent for recycling. The school environment was characterized by variation in the age and design of the windows.

– Differences between building types affect both data quality and the ability to assess the material’s future use. This is important knowledge as we bring the methods into new projects, says Karin Wannerberg.

Want to read the previous article? You’ll find it here!