Castellón Municipal Library: a real-life laboratory for circular construction within the DeCO2 project
The recently renovated Castellón Municipal Library hosted a technical visit on 30th September, 2026, organised by Castellón City Council as part of Architecture Week 2026, an annual initiative organised by the Official Association of Architects of the Valencian Community (COACV) to bring architecture and the transformation of our built environment closer to professionals and the general public.
The visit provided an opportunity to learn first-hand about the transformation of the former Casa Andreu, an 18th-century building that has been converted into a contemporary, accessible and energy-efficient cultural facility. During the tour, municipal architects Ángel Beltrán and Alba Martín presented the main architectural principles behind the intervention, while Carlos Folch and Lucía Chover, from Vitale studio, explained the creative concept and interior design proposal for the new library.
The Valencia Institute of Building (IVE) also took part in the event, represented by Joan Romero, who presented the role of Castellón Municipal Library in DeCO2, a European project working towards a more circular construction model that makes better use of resources, reduces waste generation and promotes the reintegration of materials into the value chain.
The Library as the starting point for the Spanish DeCO2 demonstrator
The renovation of the Library is the starting point for the Spanish DeCO2 demonstrator, coordinated by IVE. During the renovation works, efforts have focused on the identification, characterisation, traceability and valorisation of construction and demolition materials and waste, assessing their potential to be reused, transformed and reintegrated into new production cycles.
This work does not end at the library itself. Part of the experience gained and the recovered materials will be transferred to the National Reference Centre (CRN) in Paterna, where the Circular Showcase Building, designed in collaboration with the Maderamen Chair at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), will be installed as a demonstrator conceived for experimentation, training and dissemination of new circular construction solutions.
The demonstrator also incorporates an industrial symbiosis approach, connecting companies, technology providers and other stakeholders across the value chain to explore new opportunities for material recovery and reuse, while helping the solutions developed reach the market and be replicated in future projects.
From the physical building to a Digital Twin
Digital tools provide a further dimension to the project’s innovation. CEMOSA will develop a BIM-based Digital Twin of the Library, enabling different scenarios for future interventions to be assessed, incorporating the circular solutions developed and demonstrated during the project.
The demonstrator therefore covers the entire cycle: recovering and characterising materials from a real renovation project, developing new solutions using recovered and bio-based resources, demonstrating them, and digitally assessing their potential future application in the building itself.
Alongside Castellón City Council, the Spanish demonstrator brings together IVE, as demonstrator coordinator; CoCircular, responsible for material management, monitoring and traceability; AIDIMME, IAAC and WASP, which are developing innovative solutions and products based on bio-based and recovered materials; and CEMOSA, responsible for the Digital Twin and the digital assessment of the different scenarios.
IVE's participation in the visit provided an opportunity to show how the renovation of Castellón Municipal Library goes beyond a technical achievement or the refurbishment of a building. As a public space open to the community, the Library will also play a key role in bringing DeCO2 closer to citizens, helping them understand and experience first-hand the circular solutions and innovations developed by the project. In this way, it will become not only a real-life laboratory for more circular and sustainable construction and renovation, but also a powerful tool for raising awareness and showcasing how these innovations can be applied in practice.
