Abstract
The paper discusses the role of trans-disciplinary research networks tackling the challenges of sustainable renovation such as; environmental impact of substitute building materials and waste, relocation of tenants, lack of skilled labor, rent increase due to high renovation costs, and provides a detailed perspective on the effects in terms of both new forms of collaboration and research results obtained by the researchers and practitioners within the network. The research network Sustainable Integrated Renovation SIRen has become a platform for researchers and actors such as building owners, housing companies, facility managers, contractors, consultants, architects, building conservationists, authorities and tenants’ organisations to meet and work together on technical, environmental, economic, social and cultural historical aspects on renovation of buildings, as well as to identify and discuss new challenges. A multi-aspect process covering all aspects that must be considered by the various actors during different stages of the renovation process has been developed and implemented in four ‘Living Labs’ in real renovation projects. This involved using new modes of work in early stages to place the focus on sustainability aspects and work on new dialogue methods and using methods to evaluate the various renovation options based on technical, environmental, economic, social and cultural historical perspectives.
Highlights
1.1 BackgroundSweden, like many other nations in Europe, faces a need for large-scale, urgent renovation of post-war building stock that is past its technical, economic, and service life endpoint (Boverket, 2015)
The paper discusses the role of trans-disciplinary research networks tackling the challenges of sustainable renovation such as; environmental impact of substitute building materials and waste, relocation of tenants, lack of skilled labor, rent increase due to high renovation costs, and provides a detailed perspective on the effects in terms of both new forms of collaboration and research results obtained by the researchers and practitioners within the network
The SIRen research environment has been bridging the gap between theory and practice in the field of building renovation research by gathering academia, industry, public authorities as well as representatives for tenants providing the opportunity of being part of a research network and coming into contact with prospective research partners, clients, and stakeholders, forming the basis for collaboration
Summary
1.1 BackgroundSweden, like many other nations in Europe, faces a need for large-scale, urgent renovation of post-war building stock that is past its technical, economic, and service life endpoint (Boverket, 2015). Neither the government nor the building sector is prepared for these challenges, as there is a lack of policy regarding dealing with housing shortages and affordability, and regulations are simultaneously pushing for reduced energy usage (Mangold et al, 2016). Buildings are responsible for 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions in the EU, and it is predicted that 50% of the building stock that will exist in 2050 have been built before 1975 (BPIE, 2011). The renovation of existing buildings has the potential to lead to significant energy savings, potentially reducing the EU’s total energy use by 5–6% and lowering CO22 emissions by approximately 5% (BPIE, 2011; Kamari et al, 2017). The pragmatic reality of the market, political visions and objectives, municipal and private services, and the needs of inhabitants and citizens must all be reconciled in order to create socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable built environments
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