There is considerable knowledge void on how the circular economy is applied and few case studies that refer to product designand development and their support with suitable architectural forms (Dokter, Thuvander & Rahe, 2021).
This research describes three case studies where circular economy is applied on a small scale in rural areas with emphasis on products, building structures and critical production and distribution activities along with the important cooperation networks for their sustainability. The information has been collected with person‑to‑ person interviews and have been systematically organized according to the business model canvas developed by Osterwilder & Pigneux (2010) The researcher asked complementary questions and discussed possible further circular economy improvements using the actio research participatory methodology (Katoppo & Sudradjat, 2015). The minimization of the energy used in the production and supply chain phases were explained with emphasis on the lifecycle of the products and buildings used. (Lu, Zhang, Xue & Gu, 2011)
The research has shown that older good production practices are still in place with several important improvements, like horticulture. Of these, small‑scale horticultural and fodder crops stand out in combination with the development of small‑scale poultry farming and animal husbandry, which are harmoniously and easily combined with the design, location and constructionof facilities and houses for hosting households where architecture seems to have an important role in minimizing the energy used and optimizing the aesthetics of the environment and facilities.