From factory to community: Integrated design to upcycle waste construction materials from modular building factories for community gardens in West Yorkshire

The construction industry is characterised by high raw materials consumption and large waste generation. Upcycling waste construction materials offers an opportunity to reduce embodied carbon emissions while creating community assets. This paper examines how integrated design supports the effective reuse of waste materials from a modular building factory, through the design of a community garden pavilion. Using Whole Lifecycle Assessment, the carbon impacts of three scenarios were evaluated. Case 1, the baseline scenario, represented the traditional temporary accommodation system using new materials with a hybrid steel–timber structure. Case 2 adopts new materials for the timber frame structure combined with reused wooden pallets for the envelope. Case 3 represents an upcycling scenario where structural and envelope materials are reused from the modular building factory’s waste streams. Results show that the whole-life carbon emissions were 15,892.32 kgCO₂e for Case 1, 4,293.25 kgCO₂e for Case 2, and 3,044.99 kgCO₂e for Case 3, representing reductions of 73% and 81%, respectively, compared with the baseline. The findings demonstrate that integrated design and in-dustrial material reuse can significantly reduce embodied carbon across a building life cycle. Recommendations for applying modular factory waste in community-led urban projects are provided.