Life cycle design and prefabrication in buildings: A review and case studies in Hong Kong

•Design for deconstruction is not a common practice in the building industry.•Some limitations of IFD buildings include dense urban environment conditions.•Closed-loop material cycle promotes reuse and recycling of building materials.•Closed-loop material cycle is critical to contribute to sustainability.•Life cycle design could reduce emissions and material use, and save landfill space.

Prefabrication has been increasingly used in buildings. It is recognised as a solution to reduce waste arising during design and construction phases. However, there is little emphasis on life cycle design issues for prefabricated buildings located in dense high-rise building environments. The purpose of this paper is to review the application and identify benefits and impediments of design for deconstruction and Industrialised, Flexible and Demountable building systems when applied to precast concrete construction. The paper presents the results of a comprehensive literature review, and two case studies of recently completed institutional buildings using prefabrication. The literature review shows that, so far, design for deconstruction is not a common practice in the building industry. The case studies showed some limitations such as the dense urban environment conditions and limited site area. The promotion of a closed-loop material cycle is critical to contribute to sustainability thus minimising CO2 emissions, natural resources consumption.