Performance Of Historical Buildings Research Articles

Heritage conservation and energy efficiency in adaptive reuse projects the case of Gaziantep, Türkiye

PurposeThis article explores the challenges and opportunities in adaptive reuse projects for historic buildings, focusing on the interrelationship between energy efficiency and heritage conservation.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilises a mixed-method approach, including semi-structured interviews and energy retrofit surveys, conducted in seven adaptively reused historical buildings in the Bey neighbourhood, Gaziantep, Türkiye. Thematic analysis is used for interviews, and survey results were discussed together within the framework of CSN EN16883.FindingsThe adaptive reuse of historic buildings can result in economic, social, cultural and environmental benefits for local communities. However, for this to occur, careful consideration must be given when selecting the new function, ensuring that it aligns with the buildings' environmental performance potential and the community’s needs. Considering the CSN EN16883 Guidelines for improving the energy performance of historic buildings, when the retrofits made by the users are assessed, the general approach is to preserve the heritage value of the building rather than making it energy efficient.Originality/valueThis study will add to a cross-cultural understanding of the complex relationship between adaptive reuse, energy efficiency and heritage conservation by looking at the local context of Gaziantep. No similar qualitative study addresses this issue in this region.

Numerical Analysis of Roof Wind Pressure Distribution in Renovated Historical Buildings: Preventive Protection Measures to Mitigate Typhoon Damage

Strong winds or typhoon disasters pose significant risks to historical buildings in many countries and regions. Although numerous researchers have discussed the damage caused by natural wind disasters, little attention has been paid to the potential impact of renovation and adaptive reuse strategies on the wind resistance performance of historical buildings—an avoidable human-induced factor. This study selected the representative ancestral hall building in Guangzhou, namely Lujiang Academy, for on-site investigation and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation analysis. It examined two renovation approaches: installing glass curtain walls around the courtyard and enclosing the top of the courtyard with a glass canopy. This study also assessed the roof wind pressure distribution in its unaltered state to evaluate the impact of different renovation strategies on roof wind load distribution. The results showed that installing glass curtain walls can effectively reduce the upward suction effect on the main hall roof, thereby improving its wind resistance performance. Conversely, enclosing the courtyard with a glass canopy may increase negative pressure on areas such as the eaves and corridor roofs, raising the risk of roof damage. This study systematically evaluated the renovation strategies for historical buildings, detailing the specific impacts of different retrofit measures on the wind resistance performance of building roofs. The methods and findings are significant not only for the renovation of ancestral hall heritage buildings in Guangzhou but also for providing practical scientific methods and technical strategies for the conservation and renovation of similar historical structures. This research demonstrates an effective approach to enhancing wind resistance and preventive protection for historical buildings.

Enhancing Thermal and Daylight Performance of Historic Buildings with Passive Modifications; A Tropical Case Study

Historical buildings worldwide hold immense potential for adaptive reuse within the framework of the circular economy, a concept gaining traction in the building construction industry for its role in reducing carbon emissions. Many of these structures boast passive building design strategies, which inherently lower energy demands. Among these, thermal mass and daylight harvesting emerge as pivotal strategies for achieving indoor thermal and visual comfort, respectively. However, with the advent of significant climate change and evolving built environments, the efficacy of these historical passive strategies is subject to debate. This study focuses on a residential building constructed in the 17th century by Dutch settlers in Galle, Sri Lanka, serving as a case study. The research targets improvements in both thermal and visual comfort. Thermal performance analysis was conducted through air temperature measurements, revealing a notable 3-hour time lag and a 2.5°C reduction in peak air temperature during the day. Conversely, nighttime measurements indicated a rise in indoor temperature compared to ambient conditions. Using Design Builder software, the building was modelled to assess its daylighting conditions. Drawing upon thermodynamic principles and daylight harvesting techniques, the study proposes building envelope interventions and ventilation strategies to address nighttime overheating and enhance daylight utilization. The results demonstrate that these modifications can potentially reduce nighttime heat by 2-3°C, while also decreasing the energy requirement for lighting comfort from 51.10 kWh/m² per annum to 44.84 kWh/m² per annum. This research showcases the effectiveness of judiciously implemented interventions in historical buildings, illustrating tangible improvements in both thermal/visual performance and energy efficiency. Leveraging inherent qualities of historical structures and integrating modern design strategies to these buildings can play a vital role in sustainable urban development and energy conservation efforts.

Vibration characteristics and seismic performance of historical buildings with brick-wood structures

To explore the vibration characteristics and seismic performance of historical buildings in Tianjin, we conducted on-site vibration testing under ambient vibration on three historical buildings with brick-wood structures in Tianjin. Specifically, we delved into the vibration characteristics and seismic performance of historic buildings with brick-wood structures by establishing the vibration analysis model, performing the theoretical calculations, and conducting seismic performance analysis. The results reveal that 1) the vibration frequencies of historical buildings with brick-wood structures are low, mainly concentrated in 2.0-8.0 Hz, which conforms to the vibration range of general buildings; 2) based on vibration analysis, it is concluded that the structural integrity of these buildings is good and there are no obvious structural defects; 3) the layout and storey height of historical buildings have great impacts on the vibration characteristics and seismic performance. 4) the comprehensive seismic capacity index of three buildings ranges from 0.91 to 1.75. The results of dynamic analysis under ambient vibration are consistent with those of theoretical analysis, providing a basis for preserving and reinforcing historical buildings.

“Re-evaluating the health performance of historical buildings using WELLV1 rating system”

The Southeast Tunisian cave dwellings of Matmata are a well-known historical model which amazingly adapt with cultural, environmental and climatic features of its surrounding. Many studies have discussed the sustainability of these dwellings but none has thoroughly discussed its performance on light of health and wellbeing of its dwellers. The WELLV1 rating system, established in 2016, is a first of a kind certification system that solely focus on the health performance of the built environment. It gives credit to designs that enhance and promote physical and psychological health of the users. The study examines the health performance of Matmata cave dwellings in the light of WELLV1 recommendations and features. The study revealed that these subterranean historical dwellings have proven good performance in relation to daylight saturation, indoor thermal relief, solar glare control, physical activity enhancement, exterior noise reduction, biophilic design and cultural enrichment. On the other hand, they lack sufficient performance in relation to air purification, social interaction, clean water supply, and altruism encouragement. Considering the scientific background, materials and technologies available for those who designed and built these dwellings, the health-related performance of their work seems unique and impressive.

Historic building energy conservation with wooden attic using vacuum insulation panel retrofit technology

The envelopes in historic buildings must be preserved as aging historic buildings continue to be used. Conservation is necessary to improve the energy performance of historic buildings. The target building of this study has an exposed rafter structure. Modern historical buildings in Korea do not have a passive retrofit, which is insulation. The passive retrofit covering the roof structure needs to be applied taking into account the original protection of the exposed rafters. This study aims to examine the energy improvement effect of a historic building with a roof with an exposed rafter structure. Considering the characteristics of the building, a vacuum insulation panel (VIP) retrofit technology is used instead of general insulation. The VIP is thin and has high heat resistance, so there is little damage to the envelope of historic buildings, and the U-value of the existing roof layer is reduced by 88%. By applying retrofitting technology, the annual energy consumption of the top floor was improved by 55%. Cooling on the top floor showed an improvement of 29.87%. The largest energy savings occurred in May at 49%. This is because the VIP retrofit technology is applied in the form of external insulation. External insulation lowers heat storage owing to solar radiation. The developed VIP was suitable for Korea's preservation considerations and building energy conservation considerations.

Thermal performance of historic buildings in Mexico: An analysis of passive systems under the influence of climate change

The commitment to energy efficiency in buildings has become more relevant as a measure to mitigate the increase in temperature established by the Paris Climate Conference. This phenomenon has increased in historic buildings, which are not designed to maintain an acceptable level of thermal comfort for the occupants despite the recent increase in temperature, resulting in intensive energy use. This research evaluates the thermal performance of a passive cooling system in a historic religious building through a correlational method. The analysis included different occupancy levels and the climate model provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The study considered meteorological data from the current scenario (2022) and two chronological progressions throughout the 21st century (2050, 2100). The meteorological database of future projections was collected by the Meteonorm software considering three climate change scenarios, specifically the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP). The objective was to determine the effectiveness of the passive cooling system in mitigating climate change. The findings showed a reduction in radiative and conduction heat gains of 70 % in the current scenario and a decrease in temperature for the most unfavourable scenario (RCP 8.5 in 2100) between 1.4 °C and 1.9 °C. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of using efficient passive systems to mitigate climate change in temperate climates.

Existing tools enabling the implementation of EN 16883:2017 Standard to integrate conservation-compatible retrofit solutions in historic buildings

• Review of computer-based decisional tools for conservation-compatible energy retrofit. • Collaborative information-search methodology. • Three levels of action (single building component, whole building, district level). • Analysis of tools’ structure, aim, limitations and link to EN16883 procedure. • Overview of potential future developments of the tools to enable the use of EN16883. The heterogeneity of historic buildings and environmental conditions, as well as the variety of possible technical solutions, introduce great challenges to the decision-making process for the definition and implementation of energy retrofit projects. The variety of stakeholders involved in the process, each bringing specific skills and goals, further add to this complexity. How can the decision be finalised when multiple and often conflicting objectives and different stakeholders are involved? In this context, the European Standard EN 16883:2017 provides guidelines to improve the energy performance of historic buildings while respecting their heritage significance. It presents a normative working procedure to select conservation-compatible retrofit solutions, which is based on a step-by-step investigation, analysis and documentation of the building. However, the recommendations provided in the Standard remain at a general level and it is the task for the stakeholders to tailor the intervention to the specific case. This paper investigates how the implementation of the EN 16883:2017 can be enabled by adopting a selection of existing computer-based tools to support the identification, assessment, and selection of retrofit solutions in historic buildings. To this end, a number of tools were analysed, highlighting their advantages, input data, outcomes and main limitations, in relation to their possible use in support of the implementation of the Standard procedure (or steps of it).

Integrated retrofit solutions for improving the energy performance of historic buildings through energy technology suitability analyses: Retrofit plan of wooden truss and masonry composite structure in Korea in the 1920s

Building energy consumption and carbon emissions must be reduced to decrease the rate of global warming. To improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings, energy retrofitting can serve as an effective strategy. Retrofitting historic buildings is difficult due to the conflict between the historical value and usefulness of the building, but a modern scientific approach can help ensure that valuable historical records and artifacts remain protected and available. In addition, the retrofit of historic buildings can contribute, although a small part, to reducing carbon emissions nationally, and can have a symbolic meaning as a combination of history and modernity.This paper proposes a package of appropriate measures to improve energy efficiency, reduce the energy consumption of buildings, and preserve regularly used historic buildings for 100-year-old wooden truss and masonry composite structured historic buildings in Korea. The proposed measures are applied to most historic buildings in Korea built in the 1920s and have the potential to improve building performance. A new approach to applying energy technology to historic buildings is proposed. The energy application suitability analysis process was established by integrating three analysis techniques: the energy-saving effect analysis technique, historical value impact evaluation technique, and economic analysis technique. To achieve an appropriate retrofit plan, the condition of a building was evaluated through on-site diagnosis. Thermal transmittance rate assessments, temperature, and humidity monitoring, and infrared thermal imaging analyses were performed to evaluate the building's condition. Consequently, thermal transmittance rates for the wall and roof of the historic building were 1.18 W/m2K and 1.67 W/m2K, respectively, which indicated a risk of excessive energy consumption and condensation. Then, the suitability of each energy technology was evaluated by analyzing its economic feasibility and impact on the historical value and by simulating the reduction in energy consumption of the building. Thereafter, based on the analyses, the energy technologies deemed suitable were integrated to form an energy-efficient retrofit package, and an appropriate solution was elucidated. In conclusion, the package with the lowest impact on the historical value and the highest energy reduction decreased the total energy consumption by 15.9%. According to the results of this study, the process and package solutions proposed in this study are appropriate measures for historic buildings built in the 1920s in Korea, and can be a strategy with the potential to reduce carbon emissions and energy.

Energy efficiency improvement by using hygrothermal diagnostics algorithm for historical religious buildings

Improving the energy quality and performance of historic buildings is a complicated task, both from the research, design and executive point of view. The aim of this paper and the main motivation of the authors was to improve the energy quality and energy performance of one of the building partitions of a historic church in terms of not deteriorating both the technical condition of the element to be modernised, and maintaining an interior microclimate appropriate for such objects. The authors hypothesised that the algorithm proposed should contain both typical tests as well as modern diagnostic and simulation methods that allow to predict the results of the impact of the planned changes on historic elements. The conclusions confirmed that the use of the proposed research methods allows for the simultaneous improvement of energy performance and the preservation of historic elements, and preventing the deterioration of the specific microclimate of the building. With such measures, it was possible to reduce the annual heat demand indicator for heating the building from 253.73 [kWh/(m2y)] to 77.59 [kWh/(m2y)] constituting about 69%.

Impact of climatic parameters on rain protection layer design for refurbished historic buildings

The application of interior insulation systems consistently increases energy performance of historic buildings, but also severely affects the drying potential of their envelopes reducing the evaporation potential towards the internal side. This reduction is even more critical in façades interested by a significant amount of driving rain. To face this problem, current recommendations and standards suggest the replacement of the original plaster with a “water repellent” one especially in climates with a high yearly horizontal precipitation. However, since this kind intervention represents a big economic and environmental cost, more specific studies are needed to identify whether it is always necessary. In fact, current approach excludes the impact of solar radiation, which may play a significant role for evaporation phenomena. Moreover, wind effect may be taken into account by considering the wind driven rain instead of horizontal rain amount. In order to investigate these hypotheses, this simulation-based study analyzes hygrothermal performances of an internally insulated wall in several European climates and latitudes, with similar annual precipitation and different solar radiation amount and wind conditions. Results show that considering wind action is important to give a more precise estimation of the effective rain impacting the façade. Moreover, water repellent exterior plasters could be avoided in façades with consistent amounts of solar radiation. Consequently, there is currently the need of a more elaborated method for identifying the necessity of replacing the historic external plasters; this method should include external climate factors, as e.g. solar radiation and wind action.

Energetic refurbishment of the historic windows of the listed heritage building Alte Schäfflerei and its influence on the overall energy balance

This study examines compatibility of monument conservation and modernization of historic windows of old buildings on the example of the Alte Schäfflerei (Old Cooperage) housing the Fraunhofer Centre for Conservation and Energy Performance of Historic Buildings at Benediktbeuern monastery. Several historic windows are extended to box-type windows and examined in detail. The calculation of the thermal bridges and the resulting U-values of the windows as well as the linear thermal bridge heat loss coefficients result in a reliable estimation of the thermal behaviour of the box-type windows. Via measurements of the surface temperature and heat fluxes on a box-type window the thermal resistance and heat transfer coefficient are estimated. The heat transfer coefficient is calculated in accordance to DIN 10077 with simple and detailed calculation and compared to the estimated calculation of simplified measurements. The energy efficiency of the whole building of the Old Cooperage is calculated in accordance to DIN V 18599 and shows the rate of heat losses of the windows compared to the overall energy demand of the building. For this purpose, the Old Cooperage is implemented with a hypothetical historic usage in DIN V 18599.

The Alte Schäfflerei at Benediktbeuern Monastery – Conjunction of Architectural Conservation and Energy Performance Improvement in a Historic Buildings

This paper gives an introduction into the research and measures of monument conservation and energy performance improvement of the Alte Schäfflerei (Old Cooperage) in the monastery of Benediktbeuern in upper Bavaria, Germany. The works started in 2010 when a contract was made between the Monastery and the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft to establish the “Fraunhofer Centre for Conservation and Energy Performance of Historic Buildings”. Both, resource and energy efficiency are approaches that are in the focus of the research. Moreover, all measures should comply with monument preservation rules and respect the original substance. The calculation of the impact of different energy saving measures like the improvement of the historic windows, internal and external wall insulation, attic and floor insulation as well as the use of renewable energies from the central power station of the monastery on the overall energy demand is presented.

Assessing and enhancing EN 16883:2017

This paper describes the work undertaken within the international project IEA SHC Task 59 Renovating Historic Buildings Towards Zero Energy to produce a handbook for the planning of energy retrofits in historic buildings. The handbook is an attempt to increase use and usability of the European standard EN 16883:2017 - Conservation of cultural heritage -Guidelines for improving the energy performance of historic buildings. The standard provides a decision roadmap for how energy efficiency measures can be identified that both respect the heritage values of the building and improves the energy performance. It also provides general information about energy efficiency in historic buildings. There has been a lot of interest in this standard from researchers in the field of energy efficiency in historic buildings, but it has not been widely used in practice. The first part of the paper summarises an assessment of the use, or lack thereof, of the standard. The assessment is based on nine European case studies that identify how the European standard can be complemented with additional resources, examples and guidance. In the second part the work with a handbook complementing the standard is outlined, and recommendations to future revisions of the standard are suggested.

High-performance materials and technological solutions to improve the thermal performance of historic buildings

The aim of the paper is to outline the state-of-the-art in the field of historic buildings’ energy retrofit through high-performance materials or innovative solutions. The research question is to understand if the latter can be positively applied to historic building in terms of compatibility and can contribute to create tailor-made solutions, avoiding or mitigating critical issues from the preservation point of view. This required the evaluation of many publications including papers, handbooks, booklets, and guidance as well as research reports. The literature review was then summarized in two research fields for each building element: retrofit solutions and high-performance materials and solutions applied to historic buildings. The technical properties of these highly efficient materials and their possible uses in heritage buildings are shown through the comparison and the data analysis of some case studies. Starting from a general reasoning on retrofit solutions and the interactions between the various building components within a whole building energy retrofit project, the paper assesses how high-performance materials are or are not widespread, which kind of data is available and what is still missing.

Improving Energy Performance of Historic Buildings through Hygrothermal Assessment of the Envelope

The intervention on historic buildings through building energy retrofitting has become one of the current challenges of improving energy efficiency. Nonetheless, this building typology presents certain complexities. Among them, one of the most relevant is the protection on their façades due to the historical and/or artistic values of a given façade and, therefore, the addition of external thermal insulation is restricted. However, at the same time, in several of those buildings indoor surfaces do not present that architectural value, and then internal thermal insulation becomes a promising strategy for improving their thermal performance. Nevertheless, its application must be carefully evaluated to avoid possible pathologies caused by moisture problems. This paper aims to identify constructive solutions for interior insulation of walls free from moisture problems. For this purpose, a comprehensive analysis of a series of constructive solutions based on internal insulation has been carried out through hygrothermal simulations. The results show how the application of water-repellent impregnation becomes essential to guaranteeing the integrity of the envelope. In addition, the combination of insulations with or without inner membranes, such as smart vapor retarders or vapor diffusion barriers, has been evaluated detecting the solutions that best fit the objective. Finally, taking advantage of the great potential of 2D simulation tools, the post-processing of the data has been performed to apply the wood decay model, and thus assess the behavior of a very conflictive point in this type of intervention, i.e., the wooden beam-ends. The results in this critical point have shown how the application of the proposed constructive solutions becomes essential to guarantee the integrity of the element and how the application of traditional solutions could lead to a hazard that must be avoided.

Integrated Retrofit Solutions for Improving Energy Performance of Historic Buildings Through Energy Technology Suitability Analyses

Integrated Retrofit Solutions for Improving Energy Performance of Historic Buildings Through Energy Technology Suitability Analyses

Analysis of the Thermal Retrofitting Potential of the External Walls of Podhale’s Historical Timber Buildings in the Aspect of the Non-Deterioration of Their Technical Condition

The paper discusses thermal quality improvement in historic buildings. It is based on a case study of a wooden historical building in an architectural style typical of Zakopane, located in the Podhale region of Poland. The building’s historical value and timber structure prevent the application of typical thermal retrofitting solutions. This paper presents an analysis of the possibilities of the improvement of energy performance of a historic building (villa) which included: a review of the available energy performance improvement solutions applicable to this type of building, with a particular focus on applying internal insulation; a technical condition assessment using non-invasive methods, the identification of problematic areas in terms of the thermal retrofitting of buildings with timber walls and decks; in situ tests: thermovision tests which showed the places with temperature distribution field disturbances in the building’s envelope, focusing on thermal bridges; measurements of actual thermal transmittance coefficients for extant partitions; measurements of the building’s airtightness and the microclimate in selected rooms; numerical analysis: an assessment of the influence of the thermal bridges on the building’s existing condition, an analysis of water content changes in wall systems post-insulation. The presented approach enables the improvement of the energy performance of timber historical buildings while preserving the historical value of its architecture. It is innovative because it tries to fill in a research gap concerning a lack of relevant guidelines in Poland. The research questions that the authors asked were as follows. Is it possible to improve the thermal insulation of a building’s wooden walls without adversely affecting the building’s technical condition? With regard to the necessity to meet nZEB (nearly zero energy building) standards, is it feasible to improve the timber walls of historical buildings? The study found that under the correct assumptions and while maintaining a responsible approach to design, it is possible to improve the energy performance of historical buildings without interfering with historical heritage.

In-plane seismic behaviour of retrofitted masonry walls subjected to subsidence-induced damage

The province of Groningen in the Netherlands is experiencing the continuous impact of gas extraction in the form of induced seismicity. Due to the absence of naturally occurring seismicity in the region, the historic building stock of Groningen was constructed without empirical design features typically encountered in naturally seismic regions. Further, gas extraction, in combination with soft topsoil, is responsible for substantial amounts of ground subsidence. This subsidence may compromise the capacity of existing structures to bear seismic loading.Historic masonry structures, particularly those lacking traditional earthquake-resistant features, are vulnerable to seismic loads. Further, their substantial weight, in-plane stiffness, low tensile strength and brittleness renders them vulnerable to settlement-induced damage. Given the cultural significance of architectural heritage, the performance of historic buildings in the Damage Limitation (DL) state is a matter of importance. Additionally, due to the incorporation of both vernacular and monumental architectural heritage buildings in the urban setting, their performance in the Near Collapse (NC) state is as important as that of ordinary building structures. Therefore, methods and techniques for enhancing the behaviour of historic buildings in both States need to be devised and evaluated.This paper focuses on the application and assessment of a retrofitting technique commonly used for damage prevention and repair in unreinforced masonry structures in the Netherlands, namely bed joint reinforced repointing. The technique consists in the embedment of stainless-steel bars in continuous bed joints, as well as their dry placement across cracks in the masonry. The technique is applied on a masonry wall tested under quasi-static cyclic in-plane shear loading for the evaluation of its performance not only in the DL state for which it was conceived, but also in the NC states. The wall features artificially introduced cracks that simulate settlement-induced damage prior to the installation of the bars.A finite element meso-model is used for the simulation of the wall tests, featuring the artificial damage and reinforcement elements. The model is used in non-linear cyclic analyses for the simulation of the experiments.Through experimental testing and numerical modelling, the efficiency of the strengthening technique is evaluated in terms of resulting shifts in wall capacity, stiffness and failure mode. Further comments are provided concerning its applicability and structural compatibility.

Valuing the environmental performance of historic buildings

ABSTRACT Buildings account for at least one third of global greenhouse gas emissions and existing buildings constitute 98 per cent of Australia’s building stock in any one year. Hence, existing buildings, many of which have high cultural heritage value, play an important role in addressing climate change and other key environmental challenges. Despite convincing evidence that historic buildings are high environmental performers, most environmental improvement initiatives within building and planning systems continue to focus heavily on operational performance. They generally fail to value broader indicators of environmental sustainability such as resource depletion, material waste and pollution. When these broader environmental benefits of maintaining existing buildings are not considered or appropriately valued, historic fabric is often removed or demolished, often replaced by newer ‘green’ buildings. This not only results in the loss of important cultural heritage, but also a substantial opportunity for maximising environmental outcomes. This article reviews national and international literature on environmental and cultural sustainability to highlight the broad environmental benefits of conserving historic buildings; how they can be valued; and what further research is required to ensure building and planning systems adequately address the role that buildings play within the challenge of anthropogenic climate change.