Yifei Yu wins EDA Circular Economy Award for thesis on circular construction

EDA proudly announced Yifei Yu, from the Netherlands, as the winner of the EDA Circular Economy Award for his exceptional PhD thesis, “Circular Construction Ecosystems: Designing a Circularity Information Platform for the Built Environment.”

Yu’s research, conducted at the University of Twente, addresses one of the construction sector’s most pressing challenges: transitioning from a linear to a circular economic model. His work proposes a Circularity Information Platform (CIP)—a digital tool designed to track and manage material flows across multiple building projects. By closing both material and information loops, the CIP fosters collaboration, reduces waste, and enables circular strategies at scale.

Recognizing the construction sector’s massive environmental impact, Yu calls for a systemic shift toward a restorative, regenerative model, aligning environmental goals with economic and social well-being.

EDA celebrates Yu’s visionary contribution, which highlights the demolition sector’s evolving role in supporting a truly circular built environment.

Read more about the EDA Circular Economy Awards 2025 and save the date for the EDA Annual Convention 2026.