Regaining a sense of belonging
Community Circular House
Community circular house for small community
The separate collection of waste is being discussed more and more. While separate waste collection is necessary, not all residents want five different waste bins in front of their gates or multiple waste trucks maneuvering through narrow streets.
One possible solution is a community circular house - but this can be more than just a place for waste bins. You can create it together with the community to become a meeting and learning place for everyone.
One possible solution is a community circular house - but this can be more than just a place for waste bins. You can create it together with the community to become a meeting and learning place for everyone.
Estonia
Local
Tõdva village
Mainly rural
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Yes
2024-09-09
No
No
No
As a representative of an organisation
The separate collection of waste is being discussed more and more—to support the circular economy and conserve resources. After all, it is not reasonable to send materials that could be reused to a landfill with mixed waste or burn them. While separate waste collection is necessary, not all residents want five different waste bins in front of their gates or multiple waste trucks maneuvering through narrow streets.
One possible solution is a community circular house. The idea is quite simple—a small facility within the community where residents can bring their separately collected waste, allowing a waste truck to pick everything up from a single location at once. A community can be a village, a street, or a specific area within a town or village. However, a circular house can be much more than just a waste collection point.
Liis Vavulski designed a community circular house for Saku Municipality, featuring a larger space for sorted waste containers and a smaller room dedicated to reuse, exchange, and lending. The possibilities for utilizing this space are vast: exchanging books, household items, and dishes; borrowing tools (after all, does everyone really need their own cordless drill or hedge trimmer?!); or implementing other circular solutions suited to the community. We all know the feeling when something is too good to throw away but doesn’t quite fit in our own home. Now, instead of leaving such items beside the trash bin, they have a dedicated space where they can wait for a new owner.
The house also includes a space for a community notice board, a green wall, and even artwork. Structurally, all circular houses share a similar design, but their solutions reflect the unique character of each community. These houses are round-shaped, partially transparent-roofed structures with wooden exterior finishes.
The house was established together with the local community, who helped choose its location and design, contributed ideas for circular solutions.
One possible solution is a community circular house. The idea is quite simple—a small facility within the community where residents can bring their separately collected waste, allowing a waste truck to pick everything up from a single location at once. A community can be a village, a street, or a specific area within a town or village. However, a circular house can be much more than just a waste collection point.
Liis Vavulski designed a community circular house for Saku Municipality, featuring a larger space for sorted waste containers and a smaller room dedicated to reuse, exchange, and lending. The possibilities for utilizing this space are vast: exchanging books, household items, and dishes; borrowing tools (after all, does everyone really need their own cordless drill or hedge trimmer?!); or implementing other circular solutions suited to the community. We all know the feeling when something is too good to throw away but doesn’t quite fit in our own home. Now, instead of leaving such items beside the trash bin, they have a dedicated space where they can wait for a new owner.
The house also includes a space for a community notice board, a green wall, and even artwork. Structurally, all circular houses share a similar design, but their solutions reflect the unique character of each community. These houses are round-shaped, partially transparent-roofed structures with wooden exterior finishes.
The house was established together with the local community, who helped choose its location and design, contributed ideas for circular solutions.
(rural area) community engagement
Innovation
Practical solution
Circular economy
cooperation
The community circular house project was designed with the primary goal of promoting sustainability by supporting the circular economy, reducing waste, and fostering community engagement.
1. Encouraging waste sorting and recycling: the aim was to improve waste management by providing a dedicated space for residents to bring their separately collected waste, reducing landfill use and incineration. Achievement: the community circular house allows waste to be collected efficiently from a single location, making sorting easier for residents and optimizing waste collection logistics. This helps increase recycling rates and ensures that reusable materials do not end up in mixed waste.
2. Promoting reuse and resource sharing: extend the lifecycle of materials and goods by encouraging the exchange, reuse, and lending of items within the community.
Achievement: The project includes a dedicated space for exchanging books, household items, and tools, reducing the need for new purchases and minimizing waste. This helps decrease resource consumption and supports a culture of sharing rather than discarding.
3. Sustainable construction: the circular house is built in a way that allows it to be easily dismantled into parts, making it simple to relocate, repair, or modify as needed. All components are replaceable.
4. Environmental education: The community circular house has become an educational space for both children and adults. Its inviting design and pleasant atmosphere have made it a popular venue for various training sessions and workshops.
1. Encouraging waste sorting and recycling: the aim was to improve waste management by providing a dedicated space for residents to bring their separately collected waste, reducing landfill use and incineration. Achievement: the community circular house allows waste to be collected efficiently from a single location, making sorting easier for residents and optimizing waste collection logistics. This helps increase recycling rates and ensures that reusable materials do not end up in mixed waste.
2. Promoting reuse and resource sharing: extend the lifecycle of materials and goods by encouraging the exchange, reuse, and lending of items within the community.
Achievement: The project includes a dedicated space for exchanging books, household items, and tools, reducing the need for new purchases and minimizing waste. This helps decrease resource consumption and supports a culture of sharing rather than discarding.
3. Sustainable construction: the circular house is built in a way that allows it to be easily dismantled into parts, making it simple to relocate, repair, or modify as needed. All components are replaceable.
4. Environmental education: The community circular house has become an educational space for both children and adults. Its inviting design and pleasant atmosphere have made it a popular venue for various training sessions and workshops.
The Community Circular House was designed not only as a practical waste management solution but also as an aesthetically appealing and culturally enriching space that enhances the community experience.
1. Creating an aesthetically pleasing and inviting public space: move away from the traditional perception of waste collection points as unattractive, purely functional spaces by designing a visually appealing structure that blends harmoniously with its surroundings. Achievement: The circular house features a round, organic shape with a wooden exterior finish that integrates well into both rural and urban landscapes. The partially transparent roof allows natural light to enter, creating a bright and welcoming environment rather than a dark and uninviting utility space.
2. Enhancing community engagement and interaction: design the space to encourage social interaction, fostering a sense of community and shared responsibility for sustainability. Achievement: The house includes a notice board, a green wall, and areas for displaying artwork, transforming it from a simple waste station into a community hub.
3. Celebrating local culture and identity: allow each community to shape the house according to its own character and needs. Achievement: while the core structure remains the same, each community can personalize the house by adding local art, decorations, or thematic elements that reflect their identity. This flexibility ensures that each house becomes a unique cultural landmark rather than a standardized utility structure.
1. Creating an aesthetically pleasing and inviting public space: move away from the traditional perception of waste collection points as unattractive, purely functional spaces by designing a visually appealing structure that blends harmoniously with its surroundings. Achievement: The circular house features a round, organic shape with a wooden exterior finish that integrates well into both rural and urban landscapes. The partially transparent roof allows natural light to enter, creating a bright and welcoming environment rather than a dark and uninviting utility space.
2. Enhancing community engagement and interaction: design the space to encourage social interaction, fostering a sense of community and shared responsibility for sustainability. Achievement: The house includes a notice board, a green wall, and areas for displaying artwork, transforming it from a simple waste station into a community hub.
3. Celebrating local culture and identity: allow each community to shape the house according to its own character and needs. Achievement: while the core structure remains the same, each community can personalize the house by adding local art, decorations, or thematic elements that reflect their identity. This flexibility ensures that each house becomes a unique cultural landmark rather than a standardized utility structure.
The community circular house was designed to be an inclusive space that is accessible, affordable, and community-driven, ensuring that everyone—regardless of background or abilities—can participate in circular economy practices.
1. Accessibility for all: ensure that the facility is physically accessible to people of all ages and abilities. Achievement: The house has a barrier-free design, allowing easy access for wheelchair users, the elderly, and families with strollers. The layout is intuitive, with clearly marked areas for waste sorting, reuse, and community exchange, making it user-friendly for everyone.
2. Affordability and free participation: provide a circular economy solution that is free and open to all community members, removing financial barriers. Achievement: the house enables free exchange, borrowing, and reuse of items, reducing costs for individuals and promoting shared resource use. Unlike traditional waste management solutions that may require paid services, this model ensures that everyone, regardless of income, can benefit.
3. Community involvement and co-governance: empower residents to take part in decision-making and management, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility. Achievement: the house was co-designed with the local community, who helped determine its location, layout, and reuse solutions. Additionally, residents play a role in its ongoing management, ensuring it meets their specific needs and remains a dynamic, community-driven initiative.
4. Promoting social inclusion and engagement: create a space that fosters social interaction, bringing people together through shared resources and sustainability efforts. Achievement: the house serves as a gathering point where people can meet, exchange ideas, and support one another. It includes a notice board for community events, a green wall, and spaces for art and education, making it more than just a waste station—it is a social hub that strengthens community ties.
1. Accessibility for all: ensure that the facility is physically accessible to people of all ages and abilities. Achievement: The house has a barrier-free design, allowing easy access for wheelchair users, the elderly, and families with strollers. The layout is intuitive, with clearly marked areas for waste sorting, reuse, and community exchange, making it user-friendly for everyone.
2. Affordability and free participation: provide a circular economy solution that is free and open to all community members, removing financial barriers. Achievement: the house enables free exchange, borrowing, and reuse of items, reducing costs for individuals and promoting shared resource use. Unlike traditional waste management solutions that may require paid services, this model ensures that everyone, regardless of income, can benefit.
3. Community involvement and co-governance: empower residents to take part in decision-making and management, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility. Achievement: the house was co-designed with the local community, who helped determine its location, layout, and reuse solutions. Additionally, residents play a role in its ongoing management, ensuring it meets their specific needs and remains a dynamic, community-driven initiative.
4. Promoting social inclusion and engagement: create a space that fosters social interaction, bringing people together through shared resources and sustainability efforts. Achievement: the house serves as a gathering point where people can meet, exchange ideas, and support one another. It includes a notice board for community events, a green wall, and spaces for art and education, making it more than just a waste station—it is a social hub that strengthens community ties.
The Community Circular House was developed as a collaborative initiative, ensuring that the people who benefit from or are affected by the project had an active role in its planning, implementation, and ongoing use. The involvement of citizens and civil society organizations has been central to shaping the project, making it truly community-driven.
The circular house was co-created with the community: they selected the location, contribute to the design and proposed the ideas for circular solutions. This collaborative approach ensured that the final design met the actual needs and expectations of the community, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility among residents.
Community now has a place to sort waste and exchange things.
The community circular house is self-governance and shared responsibility: once the house was established, its daily operation was handed over to the community. Residents take part in managing the reuse and exchange area by ensuring items are in good condition; keeping the space clean and organized, fostering a sense of shared responsibility; using the space for social and educational activities. They supervise themselves and teach each other how to sort waste. Since there are people from different cultural space, the project helps them to communicate and brings them together.
The circular house was co-created with the community: they selected the location, contribute to the design and proposed the ideas for circular solutions. This collaborative approach ensured that the final design met the actual needs and expectations of the community, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility among residents.
Community now has a place to sort waste and exchange things.
The community circular house is self-governance and shared responsibility: once the house was established, its daily operation was handed over to the community. Residents take part in managing the reuse and exchange area by ensuring items are in good condition; keeping the space clean and organized, fostering a sense of shared responsibility; using the space for social and educational activities. They supervise themselves and teach each other how to sort waste. Since there are people from different cultural space, the project helps them to communicate and brings them together.
The community circular house project involved a wide range of stakeholders at local levels, ensuring that the initiative was not only community-driven but also supported by policy frameworks and sustainability goals.
Local level engagement were community residets, local government (Saku Municipality) and local NGO (village society). Regional level engagement are the waste management companies.
1. Co-creation and decision-making: Residents actively participated in choosing the location, design, and functionality of the circular house.
2. Operational management: community members together with the local NGO now oversee daily maintenance and facilitate reuse and lending activities.
3. Support and coordination: The local municipality provided administrative and financial support (public procurement) to build the community circular house.
4. Awareness and education: local NGO contributed to environmental education.
5. Waste management complanies are contractual partners in waste management.
Local level engagement were community residets, local government (Saku Municipality) and local NGO (village society). Regional level engagement are the waste management companies.
1. Co-creation and decision-making: Residents actively participated in choosing the location, design, and functionality of the circular house.
2. Operational management: community members together with the local NGO now oversee daily maintenance and facilitate reuse and lending activities.
3. Support and coordination: The local municipality provided administrative and financial support (public procurement) to build the community circular house.
4. Awareness and education: local NGO contributed to environmental education.
5. Waste management complanies are contractual partners in waste management.
The community circular house was developed through a multidisciplinary collaboration, integrating expertise from architecture, waste management, community engagement, and design thinking. The interaction between these fields ensured a holistic approach, balancing sustainability, functionality, and social impact.
The house was designed as a modular, easily maintainable, and relocatable structure, ensuring long-term sustainability. Use of natural materials (wooden exterior, transparent roof elements) enhanced durability while blending harmoniously with the environment. The round shape and open design created an inviting, accessible space that fosters community interaction. The architect was communicated closely with the local government during the design part.
Employees from local governments different departments worked together to have the best solutions for sorting waste. The house had to be practical and attractive but it had to blend into the public space.
The community was actively engaged: they choosed some of the design, location and functions of the house. The house building and co-managing has brought community together and the relationship with the local government have improved.
The house was designed as a modular, easily maintainable, and relocatable structure, ensuring long-term sustainability. Use of natural materials (wooden exterior, transparent roof elements) enhanced durability while blending harmoniously with the environment. The round shape and open design created an inviting, accessible space that fosters community interaction. The architect was communicated closely with the local government during the design part.
Employees from local governments different departments worked together to have the best solutions for sorting waste. The house had to be practical and attractive but it had to blend into the public space.
The community was actively engaged: they choosed some of the design, location and functions of the house. The house building and co-managing has brought community together and the relationship with the local government have improved.
The community circular house introduces a novel approach to waste management, circular economy, and community engagement, setting it apart from conventional waste collection systems. Unlike traditional models that rely solely on individual waste sorting and collection, this project integrates sustainability, social interaction, and resource-sharing, making it an exemplary circular economy initiative.
1. TCommunity-centered: waste collection systems typically focus on individual responsibility, requiring households to maintain multiple bins for separate waste streams, leading to storage space issues and frequent waste truck visits.The circular house centralizes waste collection, allowing multiple households to share a single, well-designed facility. This not only reduces the number of waste trucks on narrow streets but also optimizes collection logistics and efficiency.
2. Multi-functional space: conventional recycling points only serve as drop-off locations, offering no additional community benefits. The circular house is more than a waste collection point—it is a community space for reuse, exchange, and education.
3. Sustainable, modular and relocatable architecture: traditional waste stations are fixed structures made of standard industrial materials, with little consideration for design, adaptability, or aesthetics. The circular house is built using sustainable, modular materials, allowing it to be easily dismantled, repaired, and relocated if needed. The round shape and wooden exterior blend naturally into different environments, making it more inviting than typical waste stations.
4. Community co-creation and inclusive governance: waste management infrastructure is often top-down, designed by municipalities with limited community involvement. The circular house was co-created with the local community, ensuring that the design, location, and functionality meet the actual needs of residents. The community also plays a role in maintaining and managing.
1. TCommunity-centered: waste collection systems typically focus on individual responsibility, requiring households to maintain multiple bins for separate waste streams, leading to storage space issues and frequent waste truck visits.The circular house centralizes waste collection, allowing multiple households to share a single, well-designed facility. This not only reduces the number of waste trucks on narrow streets but also optimizes collection logistics and efficiency.
2. Multi-functional space: conventional recycling points only serve as drop-off locations, offering no additional community benefits. The circular house is more than a waste collection point—it is a community space for reuse, exchange, and education.
3. Sustainable, modular and relocatable architecture: traditional waste stations are fixed structures made of standard industrial materials, with little consideration for design, adaptability, or aesthetics. The circular house is built using sustainable, modular materials, allowing it to be easily dismantled, repaired, and relocated if needed. The round shape and wooden exterior blend naturally into different environments, making it more inviting than typical waste stations.
4. Community co-creation and inclusive governance: waste management infrastructure is often top-down, designed by municipalities with limited community involvement. The circular house was co-created with the local community, ensuring that the design, location, and functionality meet the actual needs of residents. The community also plays a role in maintaining and managing.
The methodology used in the community circular house project can be described as a participatory, design-driven, and systems-oriented approach, incorporating principles of the circular economy, community engagement, and sustainable design. The project aimed to create a practical and adaptable solution for waste management, resource sharing, and community building.
1. Community-centered co-creation: engagement with local residents and collaborative decision-making.
2. Circular economy integration: focus on waste prevention and reuse and design for circularity.
3. Sustainable and modular design: eco-friendly construction and modular design for flexibility
4. Waste management and resource sharing: efficient logistics, integrated space for sorting and reuse.
5. Inclusive and participatory governance: local leadership and involvement, ongoing learning.
6. Collaboration across disciplines.
1. Community-centered co-creation: engagement with local residents and collaborative decision-making.
2. Circular economy integration: focus on waste prevention and reuse and design for circularity.
3. Sustainable and modular design: eco-friendly construction and modular design for flexibility
4. Waste management and resource sharing: efficient logistics, integrated space for sorting and reuse.
5. Inclusive and participatory governance: local leadership and involvement, ongoing learning.
6. Collaboration across disciplines.
It is certainly possible to transfer the entire project and build new houses.
The most valuable thing for a local government is a better relationship with the local community - this kind of inclusive governance could definitely be used in other projects as well.
The most valuable thing for a local government is a better relationship with the local community - this kind of inclusive governance could definitely be used in other projects as well.
1. Waste management and circular economy: the project directly tackles the global issue of waste management by promoting separate waste collection.
2. Resource conservation: by providing a space for the exchange, reuse, and lending of goods, the circular house helps conserve resources. By providing a space to borrow tools and exchange household items, the circular house addresses the global challenge of overconsumption.
3. Community building and cooperation: the project fosters local community engagement and cooperation, which is important in addressing global challenges like social isolation and the breakdown of community structures.
4. Sustainability in urban design: the use of sustainable materials, such as wood, and the design of the circular house itself, which integrates green elements like a green wall, respond to the global need for eco-friendly building practices.
2. Resource conservation: by providing a space for the exchange, reuse, and lending of goods, the circular house helps conserve resources. By providing a space to borrow tools and exchange household items, the circular house addresses the global challenge of overconsumption.
3. Community building and cooperation: the project fosters local community engagement and cooperation, which is important in addressing global challenges like social isolation and the breakdown of community structures.
4. Sustainability in urban design: the use of sustainable materials, such as wood, and the design of the circular house itself, which integrates green elements like a green wall, respond to the global need for eco-friendly building practices.
The community circular house project addresses the category of restoring a sense of belonging by fostering inclusivity, sustainability, and community cohesion, with a focus on local culture, traditions, and modern needs. The project contributes to intergenerational communication and community building – its creation and ongoing management have an inclusive nature.
The design of the project blends into the rural area, combining contemporary demand with natural design.
The design of the project blends into the rural area, combining contemporary demand with natural design.
