Innovative Use of Hydrogen in Energy Retrofitting of Listed Buildings

Existing buildings represent the major challenge in energy efficiency strategies applied to the building stock. Moreover, architectural and landscaping constraints related to listed buildings are further limitations to possible interventions. When listed buildings are used as museum, achieving the same effectiveness level of typical energy efficiency measures is very difficult and, if possible, very expensive. In order to couple preservation of cultural heritage and CO2 emission reduction, the approach would move to energy supply rather than modifications in building envelope or installation of new HVAC components. So, this study focuses on the opportunity to green NG supply of existing heating systems by means of Power to Gas option at district level. Thus, the recent advancements in Hydrogen enriched Natural Gas produced by RES electricity excess offer a zero-impact strategy to decarbonize the listed buildings using existing energy infrastructures. At the same time, the absence of changes in building features and the introduction of a renewable share in the supply address the sustainability issues of cultural heritage. In conclusion, a first original attempt was made towards the future crucial task of museum's deep energy refurbishment

Thermal analysis and energy-efficient solutions to preserve listed building façades. The INA-Casa building heritage

Energy efficiency of building heritage derived from pre-regulation period is one of the most debated topics in Europe. Building facades, through opaque walls and thermal bridges, are a major source of transmission heat losses and require sustainable and consistent solutions. Aiming to achieve an energy demand reduction, thermal features of building facades were evaluated by field measurements and simulations for one INA-Casa listed apartment building built in the 1950s. Non-destructive insulating solutions have been proposed and a comparison between transmission heat loss coefficient in the current situation and the designed intervention was made. Results show that before the renovation, opaque walls and thermal bridges respectively contributed to 25% and 44% of total transmission heat loss in the case-study building facade. After the renovation, total impact was reduced up to 70% depending on whether high performance windows were replaced; in particular, the impact of opaque walls and thermal bridges were reduced by 66% and 82%, respectively. Interventions performed primarily on the internal layer of the facade with insulation elements, when appropriately designed, strengthen the negative effects of thermal bridges in junctions. Findings show that an accurate insulation design allows for both more efficient conditions and the preservation of the heritage-listed building

University College London: Library DDA works PPG15 justification. Conservation strategy report.

Introduction: This report has been prepared for the Estates and Facilities Division of University College London (UCL). UCL needs to make alterations to the Wilkins building to improve access to the library (on its upper floors) by the end of the year in order to comply with the terms of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). In December 2003 Alan Baxter & Associates produced draft Management Guidelines for UCL which identified what is significant about the UCL buildings and to help streamline the process of gaining future listed building consents. This report is based on these Management Guidelines but includes information from the recent opening-up works. The Wilkins Building is Grade I listed. The new access proposals involve removing a staircase, one of which was inserted by TL Donaldson in 1849-51, and installing a lift (along with a new staircase) to provide access for the mobility impaired to the library. This report has been written to accompany an application for listed building consent, and to demonstrate that the alterations are required by the DDA, and are justifiable in terms of the criteria set out in PPG15. Although the proposed works affect only one part of the building, it is important to see them in the wider context of the building. This document begins by outlining the history of the Wilkins building as a whole, from its construction in 1827-9, through various modifications (notably by Donaldson), its reconstruction and restoration by A E Richardson following war damage, to its present day form (Sections 2 and 3). Section 4 also looks at the building as a whole, defining what elements of it contribute most particularly to the ‘outstanding’ architectural and historic importance given by its Grade I listing. These wider sections allow the current proposals to be assessed both for their impact on and the access benefits that they will bring to the building as a whole. Section 5 therefore focuses on the proposals to provide Disability Access to the library, describing and justifying them according to the criteria of PPG15, showing how they achieve an acceptable balance between the legitimate access requirements of those with disabilities and the special architectural and historic importance of the building

The simplification of planning legislation

This paper describes a proposal to extend the scope of planning permission in Great Britain so as to include virtually any works to listed buildings and scheduled monuments, demolition in a conservation area, and advertising. That would enable the scrapping of the separate statutory codes governing listed building consent, conservation area consent, scheduled monument consent, and consent under the Advertisements Regulations

Local Energy Efficiency Interventions by the Prioritization of Thermal Zones in an Historical University Building

Architectural constraints are a crucial aspect in energy retrofitting of historic buildings. Usual global interventions are often not allowed since preserving historical values of the building stock is mandatory. In this paper, the authors provide an alternative procedure by identifying the most profitable local interventions in order to maintain the architectural values during the restoration and energy retrofitting operations. So, thermal zones prioritization is the key element considered in this study. Its aim is to analyse which energy efficiency measures could be applied to a listed building, but at certain technological elements rather than a unique choice for the entire building envelope. Thus it will prove that you can work with individual elements of the building without compromising the protection of architectural good. The attention was placed in promoting single measures and improving the quality of the built environment. The case study is an historical building in Rome, currently used for university purposes. The analysis was carried out through a building simulation model so that to assess the building energy performance before and after the selected interventions. The chosen software is TRNSYS. This approach shows how interventions, usually not applicable at the building scale, would be beneficial if applied at local scale such as a single thermal zone or a single technological unit. The authors built a reference scenario and, for each identified thermal zone, tested the energy efficiency improvement in terms of heating demand reduction coming from the hypothesized local intervention

Virtual reality learning resources in building pathology

Building surveying students must be capable of analysing the condition of buildings and their components and, where this falls below an agreed standard, make recommendations for their repair. Hence university courses must provide opportunities for students to learn about the main causes of deterioration. Fieldwork exercises are essential but there are often problems locating appropriate buildings, programming visits to satisfy course timetables and complying with health and safety requirements. Whilst virtual surveys of existing buildings are not considered to be a substitute for real-life educational visits, this paper critically examines the development of a novel building pathology educational resource. Alternative technologies for creating digital panoramas are examined, prior to the development of an interactive case study, which enables students to conduct an on-line survey of a Grade 1 listed 16th Century hunting lodge. 360 degree panoramic scenes are linked with hot spots to create an interactive virtual tour of the building. The paper considers how virtual resources can be embedded within the curriculum, gauges tutor reaction to case study materials and identifies opportunities for the development of a suite of building pathology educational media-rich learning materials

Conserving, reinstating and converting Queensberry House

This paper discusses the work that the author has carried out as project and resident architect for the conversion of Queensberry House, a 17th century Grade A-listed townhouse, as part of the new Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, Edinburgh. The complex stratification of this fine masonry building together with severe water penetration caused major problems when carrying out the works. The richness of the original masonry, the abusive additions and reconstruction over the centuries, like the late conversion to hospital, and the way the building fabric was conserved and reinstated are illustrated. Very little of the original interiors survived and there was a need to strengthen the building for reasons of security. The building now provides accommodation for the Presiding Officer and staff of the Parliament. The process followed since the author took over the conservation and conversion project, with the building as an almost masonry shell, until conclusion is discussed, including a record of the fabric condition and the decisions concerning its repair and final presentation

The future obligations of "project manager" as construction integral director (DIPE) in the law of buildings construction in spain (LOE)

In the year 1999 approves the Law of Construction Building (LOE, in Spanish) to regulate a sector such as construction, which contained some shortcomings from the legal point of view. Currently, the LOE has been in force 12 years, changing the spanish world of the construction, due to influenced by internationalization. Within the LOE, there regulating the different actors involved in the construction building, as the Projects design, the Director of Construction, the developer, The builder, Director of execution of the construction (actor only in Spain, similar as construcion engineer and abroad in), control entities and the users, but lacks figure Project manager will assume the delegation of the promoter helping and you organize, direct and management the process. This figure assumes that the market and contracts are not legally regulated in Spain, then should define and establish its regulation in the LOE. (Spain Construction Law) The translation in spanish of the words "Project Manager is owed to Professor Rafael de Heredia in his book Integrated Project Management, as agent acting on behalf of the organization and promoter assuming control of the project, ie Integraded Project Management . Already exist in Spain, AEDIP (Spanish Association Integrated of Project Construction management) which comprises the major companies in “Project Management” in Spain, and MeDIP (Master in Integrated Construction Project) the largest and most advanced studies at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, in "Construction Project Management" they teach which is also in Argentina. The Integrated Project ("Project Management") applied to the construction process is a methodological technique that helps to organize, control and manage the resources of the promoters in the building process. When resources are limited (which is usually most situations) to manage them efficiently becomes very important. Well, we find that in this situation, the resources are not only limited, but it is limited, so a comprehensive control and monitoring of them becomes not only important if not crucial. The alternative of starting from scratch with a team that specializes in developing these follow directly intervening to ensure that scarce resources are used in the best possible way requires the use of a specific methodology (Manual DIP, Matrix Foreign EDR breakdown structure EDP Project, Risk Management and Control, Design Management, et ..), that is the methodology used by "Projects managers" to ensure that the initial objectives of the promoters or investors are met and all actors in process, from design to construction company have the mind aim of the project will do, trying to get their interests do not prevail over the interests of the project. Among the agents listed in the building process, "Project Management" or DIPE (Director Comprehensive building process, a proposed name for possible incorporation into the LOE, ) currently not listed as such in the LOE (Act on Construction Planning ), one of the agents that exist within the building process is not regulated from the legal point of view, no obligations, ie, as is required by law to have a project, a builder, a construction management, etc. DIPE only one who wants to hire you as have been advanced knowledge of their services by the clients they have been hiring these agents, there being no legal obligation as mentioned above, then the market is dictating its ruling on this new figure, as if it were necessary, he was not hired and eventually disappeared from the building process. As the aim of this article is regular the process and implement the name of DIPE in the Spanish Law of buildings construction (LOE