Ressursbruk
In this guide, resource use is particularly about two questions: How can resources be kept in circulation longer? And how can the overall footprint of the holiday home be reduced? The answers lie in the sum of choices made about the size of the holiday home, material use, technical solutions, sharing, maintenance, conversion, management and actual use over time.
Four principles for circular resource use
1. Use existing
Start by mapping existing cabins, buildings, infrastructure and areas. In many places there are already large investments in roads, technical facilities, older buildings and holiday homes. These should be considered before new buildings or new areas are planned.
In practice, this means prioritizing maintenance, repair, and upgrading over replacement. It can also involve repurposing underused buildings or adapting existing solutions to new needs.
Work questions:
What kind of cabins, buildings, infrastructure and areas are there today?
Which buildings are little used?
Which areas are already affected?
Can the need be solved by using, upgrading or adapting what exists?
2. Reduce negative consequences
Consider how construction, use and operation can have the least possible impact on nature and resources. This involves terrain intervention, material selection, transport, logistics and the use of local actors. The benefits of prioritizing local resources are great, but require good planning before and during the development phase.
Work questions:
What interventions can be avoided?
Can transport and logistics be reduced?
Can local materials or local actors be used?
Which choices result in the least resource use over time?
3. Construction is never finished
Holiday homes should be understood as something that is evolving, not as finished products. Usage patterns change, owners change, and needs vary throughout the life cycle. What today is a cabin used a few weekends a year may later have completely different uses. This means that buildings should be planned and developed with flexibility in mind. They should withstand change and be able to be used in multiple ways over time.
Work questions:
Can the building be adapted to new needs?
Are technical installations easy to access?
Can parts be maintained or replaced without major intervention?
Can the building be used in multiple ways throughout the year?
4. Intensity of use as an indicator
Look at how much and how holiday homes are actually used. A cabin that is empty for much of the year is a poor use of resources. Increased use can reduce the need for new buildings and provide a better basis for local activity.
Work questions:
How often are the holiday homes used?
Is the use concentrated to short periods?
Can usage be increased through rental, sharing or a longer season?
Can multiple people access the same building, equipment or facilities?
Circular strategies
1. Share more
Make arrangements for holiday homes, equipment and facilities to be used by multiple people. This could involve rental, condominium ownership, shared guest rooms, shared saunas, equipment banks or coordinated operations.
For SMEs, this can provide new services within cleaning, supervision, booking, maintenance, rental and hosting. For municipalities, it can contribute to better utilization of existing cabin areas and infrastructure.
Assessment point:
What functions can be shared?
What practical barriers need to be addressed?
Who can operate the scheme?
Can sharing lead to more activity throughout the year?
2. Convert
Look for buildings that can be repurposed. These could be older holiday homes, barns, farm buildings, former schools, service buildings or commercial premises.
For SMEs, this can provide assignments in the areas of remodeling, rehabilitation, energy upgrading and new use of existing buildings. For municipalities, it can reduce the need for new areas while preserving the qualities of the place.
Assessment point:
Which buildings are underused?
Can the building be given a new function?
Which qualities should be preserved?
Which local actors can contribute?
3. Condensate
Increase capacity in areas that are already developed. This can be done through more beds in existing buildings, better use of technical infrastructure, or more activity in areas that are already affected.
For SMEs, this can provide new development and operating opportunities in established areas. For municipalities, it can provide lower land pressure and better control over development.
Assessment point:
Is there capacity in existing areas?
Can technical infrastructure be used better?
Can multiple functions be combined?
Will densification reduce the need for new interventions?
4. Simplify
Develop smaller, more robust and more flexible solutions. Simple designs and simple technical systems are often easier to maintain, repair and adapt.
For SMEs, this can provide opportunities for local materials, shorter value chains and building solutions that are easier to follow up. For municipalities, it can contribute to lower resource use and more site-specific development.
Assessment point:
Can the building be made smaller?
Can the floor plan be more flexible?
Can technical systems be simplified?
Can local materials and suppliers be used?
5. Manage
Think about the operation and maintenance of your holiday home from the start. Buildings that are followed up over time last longer. Active management is about regular maintenance, gradual adaptation and the use of materials and techniques that suit the holiday home's system.
For SMEs, this can provide long-term assignments in operations, service and management. For municipalities, it can support a development where local value creation increases.
Assessment point:
Who is responsible for operation and maintenance?
How will the building be monitored over time?
Can maintenance be planned before deterioration occurs?
How can the nature around the building be preserved?
Matrix name …
The matrix shows how the five strategies for circular resource use can be put into practice. It describes the development from current practices, via more sustainable solutions, to regenerative approaches and new business opportunities.
Use the matrix as a working tool in the early stages. It can help municipalities and businesses assess their level of ambition, identify possible measures and see how better use of resources can create value locally.
Design for disassembly and material cycle
Reduced technical requirements that facilitate
Radical reduction in resource requirements
“Good enough” comfort level
Individual ownership, low utilization rate per unit
Limited sharing (family/friends)
Platform-based short-term rentals on the rise
Simplify
Condensate
Current practice
Business opportunity
Small conversion of existing buildings
New construction rather than transformation
Functionally separated cabin areas
Urban sprawl (sprawl)
Large plots
Infrastructure is being developed for intensive, seasonal use
Large areas and high standards
Complex technical equipment
Comfort is a priority
Holiday home as an investment object
Demand is fully met through sharing existing cabins
Technology-based platforms for optimal allocation
Social and collective forms of ownership
Local service to facilitate sharing
Sustainable
Regenerative
Share
Manage
Systematic transformation of existing buildings
Reversible design (deconstruction) and reuse of components
Easy replacement of function over time
Concentrated development in established areas
Increased utilization of existing infrastructure
Reduced nature intervention per unit
Reduced unit areas
Robust, low-tech solutions
Standardization and modularity
Briefly describe materials and construction processes
Fragmented ownership
Short-term management
Limited focus on lifecycle and maintenance
Increased sharing via organized schemes
Timeshare / condominium / rental pool
Demand-driven use
Long-term operation and maintenance plans
Increased focus on durable materials
Professionalized management (business model)
Adaptive, ecosystem-based management
Continuous measurement of environmental impact
Reuse and change of use of existing buildings
Upgrading older cabins rather than new construction
Flexible floor plans
Co-location with existing urban areas
Net reduction in built-up area
Business differentiation, increase of potential customer base
Convert
Prioritizing local businesses and market differentiation, keeping money and services within the local community
New models mean changes in how money is spent, creating new markets
Destination development – increase in demand, expanded usage parameters, links to regenerative tourism