‘Petite Maison’ is designed to be a feature of the circular economy - rather than use welds, beams and columns can be "unscrewed" and then taken down and reconstructed elsewhere. This is a project led by the University of Luxembourg, completed in 2022 and which provides an important and much enjoyed public space on campus.

This project impressively demonstrates innovation and sustainability in the field of steel construction. "Petite Maison" - a small house that will hopefully have a big impact - is a square meter enclosed space, adjoined by another open space of the same size.

The entire construction is screwed together and does not require welding, which is what makes the prestige project so unique because it means the steel construction can also be dismantled without any problems. The simplified "refitting" of the raw materials used can be put to a new use in the future, which is almost impossible with a conventional "welded for eternity" construction.

This is a sustainable project undertaken by the city of "Esch-sur-Alzette" along with the University of Luxembourg and led by Professor Carole Schmit. "Petite Maison" enables experts and the public to adopt a new way of thinking and to engage in a new experience. "This is particularly important because recycling and the circular economy can make a significant contribution to the reuse of building materials," says Paul Niederstein, Managing Director of The Coatinc Company, GmbH, which galvanized the material for this project.

Hot-dip galvanizing of the beams and materials was chosen because of its corrosion resistance and sustainability benefits for years to come. Other alternatives were considered as a corrosion protection measure but were deemed more expensive and found not to have the same longevity as hot-dip galvanized steel.

“Petite Maison” is now open and being enjoyed by the public. Each building element is linked to a virtual database and can be unscrewed and reused at any time.

Construction, Use and Deconstruction.
“Petite Maison.”