Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of the refurbishment of heritage buildings with special emphasis on sustainability and universal design. Findings of the study ...are the basis for further research and development of enhanced strategies for retrofitting and adaptive reuse of heritage buildings in the framework of sustainability and universal design.
Design/methodology/approach
The present research focusses on literature review analysis of specific elements of the refurbishment of heritage buildings with the aim to discover the characteristics/indicators of sustainability and universal design, which are usually used in refurbishment project and the gaps. In this paper, the latest state-of-art in the mentioned fields has been assessed, and the developments along with research gaps and potential future research focusses have been identified. The literature was collected mainly through Science Direct, World Wide Science and Emerald, especially focussed on publications from 2000 to 2019 written in English and the Web for regulatory and recommendation publications. Other sources, such as actual projects, might shed additional light on the specific issues of the studied topics.
Findings
This review shows that the current research related to heritage building renovation and reuse does not address sustainability and universal design issues comprehensively. Typically, in research, the topics of heritage, sustainability and inclusiveness are considered separately. In real situations, however, they are interconnected and influence each other, forming an indivisible whole. The needs of persons with disabilities (PWD) in correlation to the built heritage are not well studied. This is why it is important to consider these topics not only separately but also in an interrelated way.
Research limitations/implications
The need for cross-disciplinary problem-solving method, based on a holistic approach, to form the base for implementation of universal design principles into refurbishing of heritage buildings is seen.
Practical implications
This paper demonstrates the need for usable procedures for various stakeholders in their everyday practice.
Originality/value
The combined subjects of sustainability, heritage buildings and universal design are not well covered by research. Lack of appropriate literature for this specific area is forming a significant gap that hinders the development of relevant information and methods that could be applied in actual projects. This paper, albeit in a partial way, intends to fill this gap and opts to provide a comprehensive summary of the sustainability factors affecting adaptive reuse of heritage buildings with special emphasis on users, specifically PWD.
Our surroundings, as viewed through the window, have a significant impact on how we feel, how we think, and how productive we are. In order to build settings that promote pleasant emotions and ...support mental health, whether at home or at work, it is crucial to take the window view into account as well as any potential consequences it may have. In this study, we first conduct a bibliometric analysis of the topic using Elsevier SciVal data. Then, using a questionnaire survey, we proceed to determine what is the respondents’ favourite window view and what is the reason they look through the window. The results show that the preferred window view contains greenery, and the main reason for looking through the window is mental disconnection. The Chi-Square test results suggest that there is a correlation between age and the preferred window view. Furthermore, the results also showed that there is a connection between the environment where the respondents spend the majority of their workday and the reason for looking through the window.
The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges of an old low-standard urban district with a strong historical and cultural heritage and propose more sustainable renovation solutions, ...acceptable for the residents and municipality. The challenges of physical renovation or refurbishment are complex due to poor condition of the buildings, municipal ownership and governance, mixed management with community and low rents, which are insufficient to cover the costs. The paper discusses the proposed solutions of living standards, supported by the research in two directions: (i) available resources and reuse of materials, (ii) developing a renovation guidance for inhabitants from the building physics perspective, including indoor environment quality. Challenges related to energy efficiency are addressed from the decision-making perspective to overcome the barrier of lack of motivation to invest in energy-efficient measures at the individual and community level. The interdisciplinary approach complements engineering-focused studies with a focus on the comfort conditions and the influence of occupant habits in sustainable buildings. The methods used were literature review, case studies with observations and survey, looking to cover all technical, social, and historical aspects of sustainable renovation of cultural heritage buildings with the same level of importance. Results show that to keep a sustainable, low-cost urban living model, instructions for self-renovation are a valuable guidance for non-professional actors to make more sustainable choices. In conclusion, we can emphasize that inhabitants are accustomed to lower living standards, so the project is aimed to present the proper solutions for improvement as a balance between new sustainable technical solutions, personal self-renovation skills, habits, and health.
The view from the window is an important parameter of living comfort. Previous studies have defined several important characteristics of views, but there are very few studies that addressed window ...views in dense urban environments and their influence on the perceptual elements of the view. The scope of the study was to define the influence of design elements in window views that can trigger negative reactions from viewers. In our study the questionnaire survey was used as a method for obtaining the research data. A group of architecture students who participated as respondents selected different reactions to views and reasons for such responses. Only the window views that received poor responses were further investigated. The results were statistically analyzed according to the most frequent responses and the variability of responses. The homogeneity of the groups of responses as well as the groups of reasons was tested using the Fischer-Snedercor test. The analysis showed that the negative response to a window view depends not only on the short distance between the buildings, but also on the visual aesthetics, especially the composition quality, the surface characteristics and the maintenance of the observed building. The results show that interventions, especially natural elements such as vegetation, can increase the dynamics of the window view.
Window views can enable restorativeness. Previous studies define characteristics of natural environment that trigger restorativeness, but fewer studies are dealing with restorative characteristics of ...urban environment. The purpose of this study is to identify qualities that enable restorativeness in natural and urban window views. Using a questionnaire survey as a method for obtaining the research data, responses of architectural students are analysed. To identify restorative potential in window views evaluation method according to Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory (ART) is used. Additional evaluation method for urban views is applied using Lynch’s theory of designing urban space that people can enjoy. Our findings show that urban views can be analysed according to Lynch’s visual qualities to identify the restorative potential of urban environments. Our findings also show that Lynch’s criteria may coincide with Kaplan’s criteria for assessing restorativeness. To define restorative potential in urban views in an early design phase, new evaluation methods are needed to transcend the renowned Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory into more approachable design mechanisms for designers and decision makers. Well-being of the inhabitants in a future dense urban environment will only be provided with an adequate window view.
This paper addresses the main challenges in climate resilience of the building sector, including climate adaptation schemes, energy efficiency, and mitigation approaches. These challenges are ...evaluated with regard to the state of the art, research interest, and regulatory issues, providing an assessment of the advances and defining research gaps in the literature review. The review shows that climate resilience mainly deals with larger systems, whereas the field is still developing at the building level. One of the main challenges identified is the institutional response. Many publications state that it is necessary to revise policies and develop legislation; however, this is sometimes hindered by uncertain climate change predictions. The EU legislation currently provides partial coverage of resource efficiency and climate mitigation in the building sector, while the national legislation is delayed. The current situation can impair the competitiveness of the national building sector, causing it to lag behind the goals set for achieving sustainability. From the cost perspective, immediate short-term actions are seen as more expensive, because delays can result in increased risks for major investments. The authorities are currently choosing between rapid and delayed actions, balancing the costs of early actions and the reciprocal costs of delay.
•The energy retrofit of a cultural heritage building complex is studied.•Building energy demands are calculated by means of a dynamic simulation model.•The effects of energy efficiency measures on ...buildings energy demand are analysed.•Energy reductions of more than 80% can be achieved by combined measures.•The economic analysis showed positive savings to investment and payback periods.
This paper studies the effects of energy efficiency measures on energy demand in the Krsan Castle, which is a cultural heritage complex in Istria (Croatia). The heating and cooling energy demand is calculated by means of a dynamic building energy model based on hourly weather data. The largest individual reductions are obtained with thermal insulation for the heating demand, and with external window shading and natural night ventilation for the cooling demand. Energy reductions of up to 80%, relatively to the existing state, can be achieved by energy retrofit projects which include thermal insulation, energy efficient windows, improved airtightness, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and passive cooling techniques. The economic analysis revealed that payback periods between 10 and 16 years can be achieved by this kind of energy retrofit projects.
•A fuzzy model able to estimate indoor illuminance using measured or simulated external conditions.•The model shows good illuminance-estimation levels in comparison to indoor illuminance ...measurements.•To obtain the model, knowledge about the room geometry, surfaces, windows and furniture is not required.•The model can be used for simulation studies on living comfort, energy conservation and control design.•The model is simple to implement in any programming language by using a set of fuzzy rules.
Indoor lighting conditions and the efficient use of solar energy are becoming increasingly important, both in terms of overall living comfort and energy-efficient buildings. Thus, the methods of achieving adequate indoor lighting conditions, by making use of daylight to save energy, while still maintaining other indoor conditions at an acceptable level, and the corresponding control algorithms, have lately become the subject of considerable attention. For this reason, a fuzzy black-box model of indoor illuminance levels is proposed. The model is able to estimate the indoor illuminance levels as its outputs, by using real external conditions as its inputs. In general, the indoor illuminance is a combination of daylighting and electric lighting. Our study has shown that by using a fuzzy illuminance model, with the solar radiation, the external illuminance, the position of the blinds and the status of the lights as its inputs, an indoor illuminance estimation comparable to the measured data can be obtained. Furthermore, the sufficiently small error measures indicate that the presented modelling approach can be incorporated into larger test environments and used for studies on indoor living comfort, energy conservation, control design or even model-based control. Whenever needed, several fuzzy-illuminance models can be used in parallel in order to obtain the illuminance levels for more than one indoor position.
During early building design stages, decisions are made regarding building's form, orientation, distribution, and size of glazing. Although these features are crucial for building energy performance, ...designers rarely base their decisions on elaborate energy simulations. The paper presents a study of the interconnectedness of building form, orientation and window area in regard to energy consumption for heating and cooling of a generic building in Central European climate. The study showed that for the considered climate, an elongated building form is more suitable than the compact one, because it allows larger window areas and thus more efficient solar energy harvesting. Even though this may be advantageous for the heating period, it represents a potential problem during the cooling season. Therefore, appropriate shading must be applied and thus the optimum solution is achieved in regard to the building's cumulative yearly energy consumption.
•Influence of building form, orientation and glazing size on energy consumption.•Study was conducted for Central European climatic conditions.•140 bassline cases were calculated using EnergyPlus software.•Elongated building forms with larger windows and shading are more energy efficient.
Window view is an important parameter of living comfort. In densely urbanized areas, window view is often limited to the nearby façade, without all three visual layers visible and possibility of ...distant view. The purpose of the study is to examine what reactions are triggered by views of nearby façades, which by definition are not quality window views, and how the reactions of observers are influenced by additional greenery on the façade. A questionnaire survey was used in the study as a method for obtaining research data. Respondents defined reactions to 20 various window views and the reasons for them. The results showed that reactions to window views of nearby façades varied, and that the negative response depended not only on a limited number of visual layers and the distance between buildings, but also on visual aesthetic.Furthermore, added greenery in the window view triggered more positive reactions than did façades without greenery. Measures for greening façades are proposed.
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