Publications
25+ peer-reviewed articles, books, book chapters, policy papers, and public writing.
The solar boom has a dirty secret — Here’s how to avoid another mountain of waste
Charef R.
The Conversation
Public engagement article on solar panel waste challenges and pathways to circularity.
Revolutionizing Construction Safety: Unveiling the Digital Potential of Building Information Modeling (BIM)
Manzoor B., Charef R., Antwi-Afari M.F., et al.
Buildings
A systematic review exploring BIM's transformative impact on construction safety in the digital age.
Building Together: Redefining Construction with Nature as a Partner
Charef R. and Gault F.
NetMag Media
October ViewPoint article on nature-based and circular approaches in construction practice.
For a bright and sustainable photovoltaic industry: recommendations to tackle end-of-life challenges
Charef R., Jones B. and Costa A.
White Paper / Policy Report
White paper and policy roadmap providing recommendations for sustainable end-of-life PV strategies.
From waste to walls: Why earth is the ultimate Circular Building Material
Charef R.
Biennale Architettura 2025
Contribution to the 19th International Architecture Exhibition exploring earth as a circular material.
Eight recommendations to adopt materials passports and accelerate material reuse in construction
Costa A., Hoolahan R. and Charef R.
npj Materials Sustainability
Insights from academia and practice on implementing materials passports in construction projects.
Building with earth could transform sustainable construction, here’s how
Charef R.
The Conversation
Public engagement article explaining the potential of earth as a sustainable building material.
Demolishing buildings is bad for the planet — here’s an alternative
Costa A.R. and Charef R.
The Conversation
Used by the World Economic Forum for an online paper and video on sustainable deconstruction.
A digital framework for the implementation of the circular economy in the construction sector
Charef R.
Sustainability
Framework development based on experts' opinion for circular economy implementation in construction.
The future of the built environment: High-tech vs Low-Tech?
Charef R. and Bihouix P.
The Circular Economy in the Built Environment — Taylor & Francis
Chapter 1 examining the debate between high-tech and low-tech approaches in circular construction.
The Circular Economy in the Built Environment
Charef R. (Ed.)
Taylor & Francis – Routledge
Edited book series examining the circular economy across the built environment — 200 pages, 13 chapters.
Factors affecting the use of earth material in mainstream construction: a critical review
Peltier A., Charef R., Morel JC.
Building Research & Information
Critical analysis of barriers and drivers for earth material adoption in contemporary construction practice.
Is Circular Economy for the Built Environment a Myth or a Real Opportunity?
Charef R.
Sustainability, 14, 16690
Critical examination of circular economy potential and feasibility in the built environment sector.
BIM and circular economy
Charef R. and Lu W.
Research Companion on Building Information Modeling — Edward Elgar
Chapter 28 in the Research Companion on Building Information Modeling examining BIM–CE integration.
The transition to the circular economy of the construction industry
Charef R., Lu W., and Hall D.
Journal of Cleaner Production
Insights into sustainable approaches to improve understanding of circular economy transition in construction.
The use of Building Information Modelling in the circular economy context: 8D BIM
Charef R.
Cleaner Engineering & Technology
Exploration of BIM applications and proposition of a new 8th dimension for circular economy integration.
Supporting construction stakeholders with the circular economy: A trans-scaler framework
Charef R.
Cleaner Engineering and Technology
A holistic trans-scaler framework to understand circular economy implementation across stakeholders.
Uses of Building Information Modelling for overcoming barriers to a circular economy
Charef R. and Emmitt S.
Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 285
How BIM tools and workflows can help overcome key barriers to circular economy adoption.
Components reuse in the building sector — a systematic review
Rakhshan K., Morel JC, Alaka H., Charef R.
Waste Management and Research, 38(4), 347–370
Systematic review of building component reuse practices, barriers, and opportunities.
Factor dynamics to facilitate circular economy adoption in construction
Charef R. and Lu W.
Journal of Cleaner Production
Analysis of factors and their dynamics that drive or hinder circular economy adoption.
Barriers to implementing the circular economy in the construction sector: a critical review
Charef R., Morel JC. and Rakhshan K.
Sustainability, 13(23)
Comprehensive review of barriers preventing circular economy adoption in the construction industry.
Earth as construction material in the circular economy context
Morel JC, Charef R., Hamard E., Fabbri A., Beckett C. and Bui Q.B.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B
Practitioner perspectives on barriers to overcome in adopting earthen construction materials.
Socio-economic and environmental barriers for a holistic asset lifecycle approach to achieve circular economy
Charef R., Ganjian E. and Emmitt S.
Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 170
Pattern-matching method to identify socio-economic and environmental barriers to circular lifecycle.
Building Information Modelling Adoption in the European Union: An Overview
Charef R., Emmitt S., Alaka H. and Fouchal F.
Journal of Building Engineering, 25
Comprehensive overview of BIM adoption across EU member states and policy landscape.
Beyond the Third Dimension of BIM: A Systematic Review of Literature and Assessment of Professional Views
Charef R., Alaka H. and Emmitt S.
Journal of Building Engineering, 19, 242–257
Systematic review of multi-dimensional BIM applications beyond 3D modelling.
Selected Books & Book Chapters
The Circular Economy in the Built Environment
Charef R. (Editor)
BRI Book Series, Taylor & Francis – Routledge, 2024. 200 pages, 13 chapters.
Publisher page →From waste to walls: Why earth is the ultimate Circular Building Material
Charef R.
In Biennale Architettura 2025, 19th International Architecture Exhibition, 2025.
The future of the built environment: High-tech vs Low-Tech?
Charef R. and Bihouix P.
Chapter 1 in The Circular Economy in the Built Environment, edited by Rabia Charef. Taylor & Francis – Routledge, 2024.
La construction en terre crue : revue critique des freins et leviers
Antoine Pelé-Peltier, Rabia Charef and Jean-Claude Morel
In Noura Arab and François Fleury, Ressources pour l'architecture écologique, 2023.
Publisher page →BIM and circular economy
Charef R. and Lu W.
Chapter 28 in Research Companion on Building Information Modeling, edited by Weisheng Lu and Chimay Anumba. Edward Elgar Publishing, 2022.