Building Beyond BAU
The weekly newsletter for contractors, architects and clients who want to understand what actually matters to build better.
What do I mean with Building Beyond BAU?
Every project with a decent insulation and two solar panels on the roof seems to call itself “sustainable building” these days, no matter how conservative the materials that were used.
The truth? That business-as-usual has little to do with real sustainability.
That’s why I write about the stuff that actually matters: circularity, embodied carbon, life cycle analyses, biodiversity, reuse, bio-based materials and what they really mean for your project.
In this newsletter, I show contractors, architects and clients how to build beyond business as usual with practical choices they can apply in their next project.
Not preaching to the choir of a few sustainability nerds but making this world accessible for everyday project teams who just want to build better.
How this newsletter will help you when…
You’re a contractor
Tight deadlines, unclear requirements, liability risks and endless certifications make it hard to know what really matters and whether “sustainable” means more cost.
This newsletter gives you practical guidance on materials, certifications and choices you can trust, so you can build better without slowing projects down or adding risk.
You’re an architect
You’re expected to be inspiring and realistic, while new products, unclear data and shifting expectations make it hard to know what truly works. All while you aim to design a beautiful and functional building that stands the test of time.
This newsletter shows what’s possible today, what really moves the needle in a LCA, and how to turn low-carbon, circular or nature-inclusive ideas into designs clients trust and contractors can build.
You’re a client
Certifications, frameworks and regulations change constantly and without internal expertise it’s hard to know what makes real impact. Project teams tell you different things, materials aren’t easy to compare and it’s not obvious which choices improve performance or financing outcomes.
This newsletter helps you ask the right questions, focus on the choices that matter most, and shape a clear vision you can carry from concept to execution without needing to become a technical expert.
About me
For 10+ years I worked in sales, rising to manage multi-million-euro portfolios until one circular-construction talk in 2019 completely changed my direction
Watching a massive office tower being transformed and reusing a huge amount of materials showed me what construction could be, and I knew instantly: I wanted to help build that future.
Fast-forward to today: I’m Sustainability Manager at Cordeel Group, one of Belgium’s five largest construction companies, and board member of Buurman Antwerp.
I have been working on dozens of tenders, conduct LCA’s and I’m member of the Sustainable Construction Committee of Buildwise.
My mission is simple: show contractors, architects and clients how to build beyond business as usual with practical choices you can apply in your next project.
