Renovating the built environment through design for adaptability and disassembly

Expected Outcome

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• More sustainable[1] and inclusive[1] renovation of existing buildings and common spaces and/or infrastructures based on design for adaptability and disassembly.
• Processes, methods, and/or techniques are available for the modular adaptation and repurposing of existing buildings, common spaces, and infrastructures, drawing on historical knowledge and assessments of their past and present condition and functions to inform renovation strategies.
• Public authorities, investors, construction project owners, developers, architects, designers, and SSH actors have access to evidence of the economic, environmental, social, cultural, financial, and regulatory impacts and understand the business case for design for adaptability and disassembly-based renovation processes, methods, and/or techniques compared to conventional renovations.

Scope

Design for adaptability and disassembly is a concept for the design of buildings, common spaces[1], and infrastructures integrating circular economy[1] principles for greater economic, environmental and social sustainability. It presents significant potential for the renovation of the built environment by allowing for easy adaptation of spaces and structures to changing needs and uses or technological advancements.

Renovating with modular components and elements that can be dis- and re-assembled and thereby repurposed across different applications further supports the long-term use, adaptation, and repurposing of buildings, common spaces, and infrastructures. This maximises their economic value (by retaining the embedded value of construction materials, components, and elements), improves their environmental performance (by reducing waste and the extraction of new raw materials and resources), and avoids their demolition as well as the construction of new structures.

The application of design for adaptability and disassembly has focused on new constructions. However, most structures and spaces in urban, peri-urban and rural areas have already been built and require adaptation and repurposing for new and updated uses and functions. Therefore, research should address design for adaptability and disassembly for the renovation of existing buildings, common spaces, and infrastructures.

Proposals are expected to address all of the following:

• Develop at least two renovation processes, methods, and/or techniques based on design for adaptability and disassembly that enable the future adaptation and repurposing of buildings, common spaces, and infrastructures with minimal usage disruption.
• Demonstrate the developed solutions in at least two pilots in at least two Member States or Associated Countries. At least one of the pilots must target a building and at least one of the pilots must target a common space and/or an infrastructure.
• Assess the barriers (including economic, environmental, cultural, social (including related to human capital and skills), and regulatory) to the market uptake of the developed solutions compared to conventional renovation processes, methods, and techniques, and propose solutions to overcome them.
• Quantify, wherever feasible, the environmental (including whole life carbon assessments, carbon pricing, energy efficiency[5], ecosystem services), economic (including reduced resource consumption costs), social (including the response to changing neighbourhood[1] needs), cultural (including the regeneration of cultural meanings and heritage in neighbourhoods), financial and regulatory impacts of the processes, methods, and techniques, while considering the specificities of the local context.
• Use and build on indicators provided in the European framework for sustainable buildings ‘Level(s)’[7].

Proposals are expected to follow a participatory and transdisciplinary approach[8] through the integration of different actors (such as public authorities, local actors from the targeted neighbourhoods, construction project owners, developers, investors, etc.) and disciplines (such as architecture or design, (civil) engineering, etc.).

This topic requires the effective contribution of SSH disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.

Proposals are expected to dedicate at least 0.2% of their total budget to share their intermediate and final results and findings with the Coordination and Support Action 'New European Bauhaus hub for results and impact' (HORIZON-MISS-2024-NEB-01-03).

[1] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP25.

[2] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP25.

[3] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP25.

[4] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP25.

[5] Using tools or frameworks such as the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

[6] See definition in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP25.

[7] For additional information: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/circular-economy/levels_en

[8] See definition on NEB working principles in the Glossary section of the NEB part of the HE WP25.