Historical buildings characterize the cityscapes of many European cities. Sustainably constructed with few building materials such as solid brickwork, wood and stone, with flexible types of use and long lifespans, they are a role model for sustainable building.
Their renovation has been far less sustainable in recent decades: the use of composite materials such as thermal insulation composite systems, diffusion-inhibiting layers, synthetic resin-modified plasters and energy-intense materials such as mineral wool and other similar materials is common practice. Regarding upcoming regulations such as landfill bans, OIB Guideline 7 “Sustainability” and circular economy strategies (e.g. driven by the EU Taxonomy Regulation), alternatives to conventional renovation methods are urgently needed: The materials used should meet higher ecological standards. Construction methods must be resilient, durable and deconstructable - just as the original construction methods of the founding period.
There are doubts about the use of ecological building materials such as clay, lime, hemp, wool, flax, perlite and the like (often due to a lack of experience). There often are building physical (mostly in terms of moisture transport or fire protection) or technological gaps in the available data. However, these are essential for users.
The aim of the project natuREnovation is to close the gaps for the renovation of historical buildings and to create the necessary security for planners. An interdisciplinary network has been formed for this purpose: It will incorporate the experience of each individual in the project and identify and develop sustainable, regenerative, circular and recyclable renovation solutions for historical buildings and it will address missing data as well as planning and execution recommendations. The aim is to develop sustainable renovation solutions that are compatible with the building style of the founding times and to validate them with life cycle assessments. The results of the project (renovation solutions, life cycle assessments, recommendations, generated data, etc.) will be made publicly available to the construction industry and integrated into construction databases and planning tools.
natuREnovation thus contributes to the decarbonization of the building stock and the achievement of climate neutrality by 2040.
With the findings and results from the natuREnovation project, the participating companies are making a leap in innovation - new sales markets, services and business models are being opened up.
