A Sustainable Approach for the Refurbishment Process of Vernacular Heritage: The Sesga House Case Study (Valencia, Spain)

Camilla Mileto,Carmen Llatas,Fernando Vegas,Bernardette Soust-Verdaguer

doi:10.3390/su13179800

Camilla Mileto, Carmen Llatas + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179800

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Abstract

The refurbishment of traditional vernacular architecture is currently of interest for the conservation of heritage, historic landscape and cultural landscape, as well as for its potential benefits in the field of environmental sustainability. The carefully selected materials and techniques used in the refurbishment of a traditional dwelling in Sesga (Valencia, Spain) maintain the local construction techniques while causing the least possible environmental impact, saving on transport and transformation and construction energy. This article uses LCA to showcase this contribution, examining three scenarios: the first option is the refurbishment of the case study using natural traditional materials and techniques; the second presents a hypothetical refurbishment using widely used industrial materials; and a third option looks at the demolition of the existing building and the addition of a new construction with widely used industrial materials. This comparison has shown where and why the first option is, broadly speaking, the most sustainable option in environmental, sociocultural and socioeconomic terms.

Highlights

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
This study aims to demonstrate the advantages of the refurbishment process of a sinThis study aims to demonstrate advantagesapproach, of the refurbishment process of acriteria singlegle-family house following a global the sustainability including qualitative family following of a global sustainability approach, qualitative criteriaGoals such such ashouse the parameters the VerSus
A conservation project was drawn up and implemented for a real existing vernacular dwelling, based mostly on the use of up and implemented for a real existing vernacular dwelling, based mostly on the use of the same traditional techniques used in the construction of these houses and the actual the same traditional techniques used in the construction of these houses and the actual proximity materials

Summary

Introduction

Academic Editors: John Carman and Miguel Amado. Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Given the threat of worsening climate change, the need for energy saving and for a reduction in CO2 emissions is currently a priority at a European and a global level [1], as reflected in the signing of the European Green Deal [2]. According to official data from the European Union, over 40% of energy consumption is due to the heating and cooling of housing [3]. The construction process represents a sizeable expenditure in energy in the extraction, production and transport of building materials, as well as in the supposition of a phase of possible amortisation at the end of the life cycle in actions for the demolition and elimination of waste [4]

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