KEEPING THE HISTORICAL HERITAGE ALIVE: Methodology and pre-assessment tool for the energy renovation of the historic residential stock of the east extension in Brussels - Aránzazu Galán González

1. KEEPING THE HISTORICAL HERITAGE ALIVE:
Methodology and pre-assessment tool for the
energy renovation of the historic residential
stock of the east extension in Brussels.
Aránzazu Galán González agalango@ulb.ac.be
Joint doctorate between
Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
Building, Architecture and Town planning (BATir) dpt.
and
Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid (ETSAM)
Department of Construction and Architectural Technologies
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Built Environment
30/04/2014

2. Methodology
Brussels THESIS
– Residential buildings
constructed
between 1860 and
1930 in the East
Extension of
Brussels
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Built Environment
30/04/2014
Residential
Buildings
Renewal Energy House
– Success story in the energetic
refurbishment of patrimonial
residential buildings
– Documental and practical basis
of measures to apply
– REH location
– EU capital
– Existence of several
bodies and observatories
in the field of renewable
energy
– Special sensibility of the
Local Administration
with environmental
protection and
sustainability
– Preliminary
assessment
methodology
– Effectiveness of the
measures evaluation
– Rehabilitation
techniques
identification
APPROACH

3. •31/12/2020: New constructions to be certified as nearly zero-energy
buildings
•31/12/2018: Public buildings certified as nearly zero-energy buildings
•No specific target for renovation.
JUSTIFICATION
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2010/31/EU Directive
• Residential buildings consume 2/3 of the final energetic consumption of
buildings representing a 70% of the built-up area
• Refurbished buildings are the leading cause of CO2 emissions
• Energetic efficiency achievement requires striving to improve the energy
management of the existing residential buildings
Gaterell & McEvoy
• Construction consumes a 40% of the energetic demand
• 20% reduction in the consumption of primary energy
• Construction as a key factor in the energy consumption reduction
European Commission
Horizon 2020
• New constructions built under passive standards
• Refurbishment of public building performed by means of low energy
consumption standards
• Promotion of model houses and sustainable neighbourhoods
• Definition and application of a system to analyse the energy efficiency of
social housing stock
• Improvement of the energetic subsidies in the regional plans
Brussels: new legislative
framework in residential
buildings

4. Individual
Approach
identification
incompatibilit
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STUDY FRAMEWORK
¾ Need of performing energetic
refurbishment in historical
residential buildings
¾ Methodology
¾ Assessment of the adequacy
¾ Eligible solutions and
alternatives
No
of
ies
No previous
analysis
Lack of energy efficiency expected improvements
Unsuccessful solutions
Raise of the final budget

5. “It is possible to define a methodology to identify the most optimal refurbishment
solutions, with regards to the improvement of energy efficiency, to apply to any building
belonging to the stock of historical residential buildings located in the area named East
Extension of Brussels, based on a clear typological building classification and the
identification of the applicable solutions”
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HYPOTHESIS

6. GENERAL OBJECTIVES
# Objective
1 Define a methodology to support during the energy efficiency refurbishment of
historical buildings constructed between 1870 and 1930 in the East Extension of
Brussels, based on the outcomes of the REH
2 This methodology will be generalizable to all the buildings belonging to the same
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typology.
3 The methodology must be extensible to be reused in any building typology
4 The methodology must include a continuous improvement process to adjust and to
adapt the methodology by using the results and the feedback obtained from the
experience.

7. Stern report about climate change
Spanish royal decree 47/2007 approving
energy certification
Brussels updates Construction Code
[4]: Residential buildings in the focus to
reduce energy consumption
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Built Environment
30/04/2014
1992
1997
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Earth Submit (Río de Janeiro)
Kyoto Submit
World Submit on Sustainable
Development (Johannesburgo)
Bonn conference
-Europe 2020 Strategy endorsement
-Directive 2010/31/UE (rev .2002/91/CE)
European Directive 2002/91/CE about
building energy efficiency
[17]: Lack of technical expertise to achieve
efficiency goals
[13]: Refurbishment is the ideal solution
[15]: Potential of refurbishment in the
energy efficiency improvement
[7]: Buildings emit 26% of CO2
[9]: Refurbishment more efficient than
demolition and new construction
[14]: Refurbishment potential to improve
energy efficiency
[18]: Energetic rehabilitation design
methodology
Renewal Energy House
European Council sets out actions for
energy policy
New4old Project
STATE OF THE ART
Cost optimal levels of minimum energy
performance requirements - BCR
Performance energetique et de climat
interieur des batiments- BCR
Directive 2012/27/UE on energy
efficiency
3encult

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ESTIMATION METHODS

9. Documental Research Initial Hypothesis revision and
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Documental
Methodology
1º Similar methodologies
compilation
2º Gather information about
Energy refurbishment projects
focused in patrimonial and
historical buildings
3º Study of the existing
refurbishment solutions;
parameters identification
4º Catalogue buildings in the
scope of the thesis
restatement
1º REH Study
2º Selection and detailed study
of eligible buildings to be
compared with the model
3º Hypothesis and Thesis
Objectives restatement based
on the solutions the typologies
analysed.
Experimental
Methodology
Methodology
1º TCS matrix construction
2º Methodology definition
Conclusions
Conclusions
1º Draw-up Conclusions
2º Proof of established
hypothesis
METHODOLOGY

10. CASE STUDY: BRUSSELS EXTENSION EAST
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Built Environment
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11. CASE STUDY: BUILDING TYPOLOGIES
BRUSSELS EXTENSION EAST
BRUSSELS CAPITAL REGION:
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SOURCE: B³-RETROTOOL project – BXL-RETROFIT Innoviris Platform
AUTOR: Arnaud Evrard (UCL)

12. Cinquantenaire
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CASE STUDY: BUILDING TYPOLOGIES
Parc Leopold
Squares
1a Maison bourgeoise before 1850
1b Maison bourgeoise Leopoldian type
2a Maison bourgeoise with bel étage (1 dwelling)
2b Maison bourgeoise with bel étage (>1 dwelling)
3a Hôtel de Maître or Hôtel particulier
3b Maison de rapport
4a Modest house from before 1919
4b Modest housing from after 1918 (Garden City)
5a Maison bourgeoise - Evolution (1 dwelling)
5b Maison bourgeoise - Evolution (>1 dwelling)
6 Apparment building
7 Housing after 1945
Legend
CAPA_et_Type
<all other values>
TYPE
1a
1b
2a
2b
3a
3b
4a
4b
5a
5b
6
7
Quartier
Europeen

13. 2
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1
3
3
2
1
Original plans of Square Marguerite 62
Source: Personal

14. DS²BE Doctoral Seminar on Sustainability Research in the
Built Environment
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PRE-ASSESSMENT TOOL –TCS MATRIX
TCS Matrix:
building Typology
building Component
Solution
Continuous
Improvement

15. BUILDING THE GROUND OF THE MATRIX
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16. BUILDING THE GROUND OF THE MATRIX
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17. PUBLICATIONS
Conference papers:
A. Galán González, P. Bouillard, C. Acha Román, M. Stevanovic (2013). KEEPING THE HISTORICAL
HERITAGE ALIVE: Methodology for the energy renovation of the historic residential stock of the east
extension in Brussels. PLEA2013 - 29th Conference, Sustainable Architecture for a Renewable
Future. Munich, Germany.
A. Galán González, P. Bouillard, C. A. Acha Román, M. Stevanovic (2013). Pre-assessment tool for the
evaluation of optimal renewable energy integration strategies. Case study in the extension east of
Brussels. CISBAT 2013 International Conference - Cleantech for smart cities and buildings from nano
to urban scale. EPFL-Lausanne.
Accepted abstracts:
A. Galán Gonzalez, C. A. A. R., P. Bouillard (2014). Improving energy efficiency of the historic
residential stock of Brussels. CONSTEC2014 - 1st International Congress on research in Construction
and Architectural Technologies, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. ETSAM. Madrid.
A. Galán González, S. T., A. Athanassiadis, A. Evrard, P. Bouillard, C. A. Acha Román (2014). OLD
BUILDINGS, NEW CITIES: Energy renovation strategies for the historic residential stock of Brussels.
WORLD SB14, Barcelona, Spain.
S. Trachte, A. E., A. Athanassiadis, A. Galán González (2014). Sustainable retrofit of the old part of
dwellings stock in Brussels Capital Region PLEA 2014 - The 30th International PLEA Conference.
Ahmedabad, India
DS²BE Doctoral Seminar on Sustainability Research in the
Built Environment
30/04/2014

18. Thank you for your attention,
Any questions?
Aránzazu Galán González agalango@ulb.ac.be
With the financial support of the
Brussels Capital Region through the
Innoviris Strategic Research Platform
2012 – Brussels Retrofit XL
DS²BE Doctoral Seminar on Sustainability Research in the
Built Environment
30/04/2014