Madaster

An online library of information on materials and products for registered buildings and infrastructure objects, providing insight on circularity, embodied carbon and toxicity.
Climate Change Mitigation Resource Use Advancing Net Zero Circular Economy Solutions

Problem addressed

Madaster regards the earth as a closed system within which there should be no waste. Madaster’s goal is to put an end to material waste in buildings and infrastructure, therefore helping the built environment transition from a linear to a circular economy. Madaster is part of a larger picture, seeking to close the loop for all the materials and products used in the construction sector by making them traceable and identifiable.

Solution overview

Madaster is an online library of information on materials and products for registered buildings and infrastructure objects. Its platform provides insight into the materials and products used in each asset, their location, as well as their impact on circularity and the environment. By providing these materials with an identity Madaster makes reuse easier, eliminates waste and minimises the impact on the environment. In this way, Madaster is working towards a circular construction industry.

Madaster manages large amounts of data. Users input a BIM/ IFC file or an Excel sheet of asset data into the platform, the platform then enriches this data by matching the materials and products in the asset with data from one of Madaster’s many connected databases. These include EPD information that provides a range of environmental insights. From there the platform has several outputs and dashboarding functionalities that include embodied carbon indicators, circularity index score, detachability information and a mass and material overview. This information can be exported as a material or product passport, and these can be produced in a range of details and scales. This information can also be formatted to meet various regulations and reports, depending on the requirements in each region.

Madaster provides indicators and scores using widely accepted methodologies and standards. The most notable indicator that Madaster provides is embodied carbon. The score is provided as an average of an entire asset and is colour coded; green, amber, red. So, elements with a comparatively high embodied carbon score can be easily identified in existing buildings and at a design stage.

Madaster has been developed to manage large quantities of data from a range of sources whilst still being fully auditable. All the information used and provided by the platform can be tracked and referenced. This increases and encourages transparency and verification.

Company name

Madaster

UK availability

Yes

Solution launch date

2017

Links

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Cost Benefit

Madaster has three subscription options:

  • Madaster subscription: (£900/ year)
    • Recommended for experts who want to start uploading immediately with Madaster independently. The subscription comes inclusive of one personal user and one active building.
    • Additional objects are £100/ year.
    • Non-active (archived) objects are £5/ year.
    • Additional users are £900/ year.
  • Private subscription: (£1995/ year)
    • Recommended for private homeowners who want to transparently document and analyse the materials and components they use. Also, for students who want to create circular scenarios or a building passport for research.
  • Producers (£0/ year)
    • Producers can register their product portfolio on Madaster for free if the product data is shared with all users. A partnership is required for support.

Madaster also offers partnership models at varying scales which provide guidance support, training and enables users to leverage Madaster’s ecosystem through marketing and network events. Madaster is currently preparing for a UK launch later in the year and looking to connect with the front runners in the UK to aid their roll out and help provide a foundation of market knowledge and connections to grow from.

Case study

British Land has been awarded an innovation credit by the Building Research Establishment for the UK’s first large-scale use of a materials passport provided by Madaster, for their 1 Broadgate development.

At the start of 2021, together with architects GXN, Madaster started work with British Land to upload and maintain their new 1 Broadgate development on the Madaster platform.

Throughout the development, the project team has been updating Madaster with information on the quality, origin and location of materials and products that will be used in the structure, façade and MEP of the building, thereby creating its materials passport. By the time the project is completed – scheduled for 2025 – A valuable set of data will have been produced, which will give the building an increased value and much greater potential for reuse in the future.

1 Broadgate is a large scale, complex development in the centre of London. The project illustrates Madasters usability and readiness for the UK market and demonstrates the viability of the platform for UK use.

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