Abstract
Buildings of heritage significance due to their historical, architectural, or cultural value, here called historic buildings, constitute a large proportion of the building stock in many countries around the world. Improving the performance of such buildings is necessary to lower the carbon emissions of the stock, which generates around 40% of the overall emissions worldwide. In historic buildings, it is estimated that heat loss through external walls contributes significantly to the overall energy consumption, and is associated with poor thermal comfort and indoor air quality. Measures to improve the performance of walls of historic buildings require a balance between energy performance, indoor environmental quality, heritage significance, and technical compatibility. Appropriate wall measures are available, but the correct selection and implementation require an integrated process throughout assessment (planning), design, construction, and use. Despite the available knowledge, decision-makers often have limited access to robust information on tested retrofit measures, hindering the implementation of deep renovation. This paper provides an evidence-based approach on the steps required during assessment, design, and construction, and after retrofitting through a literature review. Moreover, it provides a review of possible measures for wall retrofit within the deep renovation of historic buildings, including their advantages and disadvantages and the required considerations based on context.
Highlights
Introduction and ScopeMore than 30% of residential buildings in Europe have been constructed before the1950s [1], with national variations depending on the countries’ history
The aim of this paper is to provide a coherent picture of procedural steps and available measures for improving the energy performance of the building envelope, and walls in particular, in historic buildings, according to international literature
Knowledge about the pre-retrofit state and the robustness of the external wall and the elements connected to it is important, such as when assessing the rainwater protection of a wall and its ability to dry out before reaching critical moisture levels. This is even more relevant when internal insulation is considered as a retrofit measure, as this measure changes the hygrothermal conditions of the wall
Summary
More than 30% of residential buildings in Europe have been constructed before the. 1950s [1], with national variations depending on the countries’ history. The choice of inappropriate systems in energy-efficient renovation projects can change the hygrothermal performance and reduce the drying potential of a wall, which negatively affects the structural integrity of a building and the health of the occupants This can occur when new materials or methods are introduced without a sufficient understanding of the possible impacts on the existing construction. The variability and peculiarity of historic constructions make it very hard to identify retrofit strategies that can be applicable at large [15]; professionals and building users have been voicing the need for support during the decision-making process [16,17] To this end, a whole-building, integrated framework that can maximise the strengths of the different disciplines contributing to the energy-efficient renovation of historic buildings is necessary.
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