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The authors would like to acknowledge the support given by the rest of the members and institutions participating in the REHABILITAGEOSOL (RTC-2016-5004-3) project. The computationalwork has been carried out using the computer facilities of the Extremadura Center for Advanced Technologies (CETA-CIEMAT).

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a model which can measure the effect of perception on the assessment of cultural heritage by analysing the façades of buildings for adaptive re-use and sustainable development strategy.Design/methodology/approachThis paper focusses on the correlation between adaptive re-use and sustainability of cultural heritage, by analysing the invisible social context which has an impact on the establishment of adaptive re-use strategies. The method adopted included literature review and applied experiments for extending the methodology of Langston on the adaptive re-use potential model in order to establish a new tool which can be applied to cultural heritage. The assessment process followed the integrated cultural heritage management approach to identify the indicators which can be implemented on cultural heritage, and, furthermore, for the sustainability of the environment.FindingsThe results demonstrate that the perception of the society can rely on different indicators which affect people to assert an artefact as cultural heritage. Furthermore, these indicators can have an impact on the adaptive re-use strategies regarding the interaction with society. Societies’ perception should not be omitted, and they need to be integrated while evaluating and developing the strategy of adaptive re-use. Therefore, a holistic approach to this process can bring continuity and sustainability to the environment.Originality/valueNo similar prior studies on the perception of cultural heritage as an approach to adaptive re-use strategies have been carried out. Therefore, it is hoped that this model can lead and guide, and, furthermore, be adopted in other similar situations in the assessment and decision-making process of adaptive re-use.

PurposeAn estimation of the environmental impact of buildings by means of a life cycle assessment (LCA) raises uncertainty related to the parameters that are subject to major changes over longer time spans. The main aim of the present study is to evaluate the influence of modifications in the electricity mix and the production efficiency in the chosen reference year on the embodied impacts (i.e., greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions) of building materials and components and the possible impact of this on future refurbishment measures.MethodsA new LCA methodological approach was developed and implemented that can have a significant impact on the way in which existing buildings are assessed at the end of their service lives. The electricity mixes of different reference years were collected and assessed, and the main datasets and sub-datasets were modified according to the predefined substitution criteria. The influence of the electricity-mix modification and production efficiency were illustrated on a selected existing reference building, built in 1970. The relative contribution of the electricity mix to the embodied impact of the production phase was calculated for four different electricity mixes, with this comprising the electricity mix from 1970, the current electricity mix and two possible future electricity-mix scenarios for 2050. The residual value of the building was also estimated.Results and discussionIn the case presented, the relative share of the electricity mix GHG emission towards the total value was as high as 20% for separate building components. If this electricity mix is replaced with an electricity mix having greater environmental emissions, the relative contribution of the electricity mix to the total emissions can be even higher. When, by contrast, the modified electricity mix is almost decarbonized, the relative contribution to the total emissions may well be reduced to a point where it becomes negligible. The modification of the electricity mix can also influence the residual value of a building. In the observed case, the differences due to different electricity mixes were in the range of 10%.ConclusionsIt was found that those parameters that are subject to a major change during the reference service period of the building should be treated dynamically in order to obtain reliable results. Future research is foreseen to provide additional knowledge concerning the influence of dynamic parameters on both the use phase and the end-of-life phase of buildings, and these findings will also be important when planning future refurbishment measures.

Historic department stores are an underexamined lever for circular, low-carbon urban transition. This study tests whether Langston’s Adaptive Reuse Potential (ARP) can be applied retrospectively and how contextual readiness shapes the timing of interventions. Using the Renoma Department Store in Wroclaw, Poland (1930–2025), we reconstruct five adaptive phases and combine expert scoring of seven obsolescence dimensions (O1–O7) with a Readiness index covering finance, governance/approvals, use commitment, delivery/supply chain, and policy priority. Decision windows are interpreted via a WAIT–PREPARE–GO lens. Results show that peaks in ARP and Readiness aligned with major reinvestments—post-war reconstruction, socialist modernisation, and post-EU-accession renewal—while the original steel frame retained high structural reserves, indicating that timing was driven more by institutional and economic conditions than by technical decay. We propose ARP as an interpretive lens for circular regeneration and show that the Readiness index clarifies feasibility and risk. The combined ARP × Readiness approach yields a replicable, phase-sensitive diagnosis of adaptive capacity and intervention timing, contributing evidence to circular city practice and aligning with New European Bauhaus principles of sustainability, inclusion, and quality of place.

The study presents a didactic experience for the deep refurbishment and the revitalization of the San Siro neighborhood in Milan (Italy). The public housing is a significative example of the 20th-century architecture (also named “Italian Modernism of Architecture”), designed by the Italian architects—Franco Albini, Renato Camus, Giancarlo Palanti, and Laslo Kovacs (1938–1941). Nowadays, it is a multicultural area, characterized by the presence of a fragile population, with strong socio-spatial inequalities, intercultural and intergenerational conflicts. Here, an architectural design project is realized, experimenting with innovative and up-to-date design solutions. This experience develops a sensitive awareness of the multidimensional complexity of the environmentally responsible design, which requires a critical balance among different disciplines and skills. The reusing of existing buildings has sustainable importance for preventing new land-uses and for saving the potential energy consumption related to the construction process. Only a widespread knowledge of the local socio-economic conditions through participatory actions permits the selection of appropriate retrofit solutions, considering also the high cultural, social, and economic values. Functional and social mix, space flexibility, green design, renewable energies, circular economy criteria, and continuative maintenance are the correct strategies for boosting the social revitalization and for improving fairness, safety, architectural quality, human comfort, energy efficiency, and sustainability in this public housing neighborhood.

Reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) is a promising solution to boost coverage sustainably by reflecting waves from a transmitter to a receiver and acting as a low-power and passive relay. In this paper, for the first time, we demonstrate experimentally that a reconfigurable intelligent surface designed for sub6GHz, and using varactor technology, can perform three-dimensional reflective beamforming and interference nulling. This result is achieved with a RIS prototype of 984 unit-cells, thanks to a compact control circuit individually addressing and configuring the voltage of each unit-cell, with a distinct voltage. To our knowledge, this prototype configures 17 to 70 times more distinct voltages than in the state-of-the-art. The experimental results in an indoor environment show a 10-dB gain. They also show, for the first time, that producing such a new prototype is feasible with minimal energy footprint and environmental impact, thanks to refurbishing. Indeed, a reflectarray antenna originally designed for three-dimensional beamforming has been turned into a RIS.

Energy efficiency and environmental performance optimization at the district level are following an upward trend mostly triggered by minimizing the Global Warming Potential (GWP) to 20% by 2020 and 40% by 2030 settled by the European Union (EU) compared with 1990 levels. This paper advances over the state of the art by proposing two novel multi-objective algorithms, named Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II) and Multi-Objective Harmony Search (MOHS), aimed at achieving cost-effective energy refurbishment scenarios and allowing at district level the decision-making procedure. This challenge is not trivial since the optimisation process must provide feasible solutions for a simultaneous environmental and economic assessment at district scale taking into consideration highly demanding real-based constraints regarding district and buildings’ specific requirements. Consequently, in this paper, a two-stage optimization methodology is proposed in order to reduce the energy demand and fossil fuel consumption with an affordable investment cost at building level and minimize the total payback time while minimizing the GWP at district level. Aimed at demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed two-stage multi-objective approaches, this work presents simulation results at two real district case studies in Donostia-San Sebastian (Spain) for which up to a 30% of reduction of GWP at district level is obtained for a Payback Time (PT) of 2–3 years.

Building refurbishment plays a key role in the de-carbonization of the European building stock. Whilst the renewal of the thermal envelope increases energy efficiency during the operational phase, the type of material is highly relevant for the overall environmental impact of the refurbishment. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is most widely used for external thermal insulation systems but is also a material based on fossil resources. Thus, alternatives made from renewable raw materials must be more widely used in order to reach the climate goals. However, comparable data on long-term material effects over the life cycle are needed for developers and planners to make informed decisions. In a Viennese case study for the largest social housing property manager in Europe, two different façade systems have been analyzed to assess the overall environmental impact of the materials. In a comprehensive life cycle assessment, a Multi-Active Façade system based on recycled paper has been compared with a conventional external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) using EPS. It shows that whilst the evaluation during the operational phase alone results in a similar ecological footprint of the ETICS, the analysis over the whole life cycle provides a clear positive indication for the novel Multi-Active Façade.

PurposeThe current focus of environmental legislation for energy-using products is an efficient energy consumption in the use stage. However, the production and waste treatment of electronic products are also related to environmental impacts in terms of declining metal resources and growing waste streams. This paper investigates the environmental impacts of life time extension versus energy efficiency for the product group video projector using life cycle assessment (LCA).MethodsThe product under study was an average video projector based on three LCD projectors. The studied systems included two possibilities after a regular first usage period: reconditioning for a second use or replacement by a primary successor with an energy efficiency increase of 5 and 10%. All impacts addressed were accounted using the ReCiPe 2008 method. The impact contribution of projector components was identified at midpoint and endpoint levels, while life cycle impacts were calculated with a focus on three impact categories. Furthermore, the amortization period of production emissions was quantified.Results and discussionLCA results showed that the use stage dominates life cycle impacts of the global warming potential and primary energy demand. For the metal depletion potential, the production stage accounts for most of the total life cycle load. The highest shares in production emissions were identified for electronic components, namely printed wired boards and integrated circuits. Reconditioning and reuse of a secondary projector resulted in minor environmental impacts compared to the replacement and use of a primary projector with an energy efficiency increase of 5%. The saving potential of the primary energy demand is higher only in the case of a 10% more efficient device as compared to the secondary projector.ConclusionsThe study concluded that production emissions and their amortization period are relevant factors offsetting any environmentally beneficial measures applied during the use phase. The study suggests that life time extension of video projectors can provide higher environmental improvement potentials, while energy efficiency increase during usage is less beneficial, given that major improvements in energy efficiency do not occur. Recommendations are valid for this particular case study. The study suggests that the current focus of mandatory product requirements for energy-using products on energy efficiency increase should be extended to measures of life time extension in order to serve the intent of an integrated product policy.

Thermal energy for space heating and for domestic hot water use represents about a third of the overall energy demand in Germany. An alternative to non-renewable energy-based heat supply is the implementation of closed and open shallow geothermal systems, such as horizontal ground source heat pump systems, vertical ground source heat pump (vGSHP) systems and groundwater heat pump systems. Based on existing regulations and local hydrogeological conditions, the optimal site-specific system for heat supply has to be identified. In the presented technical feasibility study, various analytical solutions are tested for an urban quarter before and after building refurbishment. Geothermal heat supply rates are evaluated by providing information on the optimal system and the specific shortcomings. Our results show that standard vGSHP systems are even applicable in older and non-refurbished residential areas with a high heat demand using a borehole heat exchanger with a length of 100 m or in conjunction with multiple boreholes. After refurbishment, all studied shallow geothermal systems are able to cover the lowered heat demand. The presented analysis also demonstrates that ideally, various technological variants of geothermal systems should be evaluated for finding the optimal solution for existing, refurbished and newly developed residential areas.