Beyond Technical Circularity: A Circular Socio-Technical Integration Framework for Digital Renovation and Construction

Abstract

The EU’s transition towards climate-neutral construction will hinge on technical solutions like AI-driven lifecycle tracking, Building Renovation Passports (BRPs), Digital Product Passports (DPPs), and digital twins. However, the deployment of such technologies is often hindered by persistent social and regulatory friction. For example, the recast EPBD (Directive 2024/1275) mandates the introduction of BRPs by May 2026, yet a persistent and critical implementation gap divides regulatory ambition and the social-technical realities of local governance, project coordination, and building or homeowners’ adoption. This paper introduces the Circular Socio-Technical Integration (CSTI) framework, a novel methodological approach developed within the CRedIBlE project to translate technical and regulatory requirements into stakeholder-relevant value propositions across the renovation life cycle. Drawing on stakeholder engagement theory, integrated design process research, and BRP and DPP literature, the CSTI Framework explicitly addresses three systemic barriers: the privacy-data paradox, the split-incentive dilemma, and digital literacy disparities. By integrating Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) perspectives with technical tools and infrastructure from the design phase, the CSTI creates a transferable methodology for meeting the 2026 EPBD requirements across varied municipal and institutional contexts.