White ReCapture – a catalyst for large-scale reuse

New knowledge, research and innovation are the basis for steering society in a more sustainable direction. At White Arkitekter, we have been working with practical research and development since the start in 1951 and last year we initiated the White Innovation Lab innovation system, where development projects and ideas are evolved into new business offerings. And that’s how White ReCapture went from an idea to a fully developed service to implement in the market.

Could you briefly tell us what White ReCapture is?

It is a data-driven solution that integrates RealityCapture, BIM and years of expertise in reuse, environment, architecture, and antiques. We use 3D laser scanning to inventory a building, then use our experts to determine what and how much can be reused in new projects.

How does it work in practice? And could you explain the overall technique?
A digital model of the building is created and fed with information about the materials and components that the building is made of and what can be reused in future projects. It becomes a quality-assured three-dimensional catalogue of circular resources.

White ReCapture draws on a mix of third-party digital solutions and self-developed digital workflows and scripts, using new purposes for 3D scanning, linking point clouds with BIM and various databases, packaged as a simpler digital twin. The various technologies enable sorting, traceability, quality assurance and compilation of recused objects. And together with our reuse specialists, White ReCapture realises the potential of reuse in projects.

How does White ReCapture address the climate challenges we face and how can the service contribute to the achievement of climate goals?

With access to quality-assured information about their own resources in the property stock, property owners and developers can identify and map resources for reuse in future construction projects and demonstrate climate savings for the circular products at an early stage. The early stage is the best phase for optimising more circular material procurement. It creates the conditions for achieving own climate goals as well as the industry’s roadmap for a climate neutral construction sector.

You mentioned that White ReCapture streamlines the recycling process. Can you explain how?
In the past, reuse inventories required many site visits to compile, quality assure and collate reuse information for projects. This used to be both time consuming and costly, but with White ReCapture, the process is now more efficient and collaborative for all parties in the construction process.

By using 3D laser scanning, the digital model can also serve as a cultural and historical record of the current conditions, and also reduces the number of revisits to the site as digital site visits can now be carried out. The model also acts as an aggregated source of information, which can be used to simulate different reuse scenarios for future projects.

Are there any other benefits or uses for White ReCapture?
The property owner or developer also gets a first level digital twin that builds the foundation for further business opportunities and efficiencies. With White ReCapture, the client also gets digital models of their properties, which we can then help them maintain. Up-to-date digital models of the properties save both time and money in future extension and transformation projects.

What learnings has this innovation brought you?
White ReCapture has given us new knowledge about reuse combined with digitalisation and many lessons about developing hybrid solutions, i.e., innovations that combine digitalisation and expertise for the benefit of the customer. And this helps us further in driving the industry’s transition to climate neutrality.

The team behind White ReCapture

Niklas Eriksson – Head of White ReCapture
Sustainability strategist with expertise in reuse, digital sustainability, simulation, and sales.

Björn Johansson, architect with reuse expertise
Produces design ideas and great expertise in projects with reuse as an integral part.

Elin Haettner, Project Manager
Senior project manager with experience in digital development and innovation projects.

Zebastian Olsson, digital service owner
Developer with focus on digital methods and specialist in software, point clouds and BIM.