Sustainability and universal design aspects in heritage building refurbishment

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of the refurbishment of heritage buildings with special emphasis on sustainability and universal design. Findings of the study are the basis for further research and development of enhanced strategies for retrofitting and adaptive reuse of heritage buildings in the framework of sustainability and universal design. Design/methodology/approach The present research focusses on literature review analysis of specific elements of the refurbishment of heritage buildings with the aim to discover the characteristics/indicators of sustainability and universal design, which are usually used in refurbishment project and the gaps. In this paper, the latest state-of-art in the mentioned fields has been assessed, and the developments along with research gaps and potential future research focusses have been identified. The literature was collected mainly through Science Direct, World Wide Science and Emerald, especially focussed on publications from 2000 to 2019 written in English and the Web for regulatory and recommendation publications. Other sources, such as actual projects, might shed additional light on the specific issues of the studied topics. Findings This review shows that the current research related to heritage building renovation and reuse does not address sustainability and universal design issues comprehensively. Typically, in research, the topics of heritage, sustainability and inclusiveness are considered separately. In real situations, however, they are interconnected and influence each other, forming an indivisible whole. The needs of persons with disabilities (PWD) in correlation to the built heritage are not well studied. This is why it is important to consider these topics not only separately but also in an interrelated way. Research limitations/implications The need for cross-disciplinary problem-solving method, based on a holistic approach, to form the base for implementation of universal design principles into refurbishing of heritage buildings is seen. Practical implications This paper demonstrates the need for usable procedures for various stakeholders in their everyday practice. Originality/value The combined subjects of sustainability, heritage buildings and universal design are not well covered by research. Lack of appropriate literature for this specific area is forming a significant gap that hinders the development of relevant information and methods that could be applied in actual projects. This paper, albeit in a partial way, intends to fill this gap and opts to provide a comprehensive summary of the sustainability factors affecting adaptive reuse of heritage buildings with special emphasis on users, specifically PWD.

Concepts of social sustainability based on social infrastructure and quality of life

“…Factors of cultural and spiritual sphere include establishment on the territory historical and culture traditions and resources, specific for the population values, affirmations, mentality peculiarities. Kristl et al (2019) showed that the current research is related to heritage building renovation and the reuse does not address sustainability and universal design issues comprehensively. They stated that the problem is, in particular, that the topics of culture, heritage and sustainability are dealt separately, although there is a strong interconnection between them (Kristl et al, 2019).…”

“…Kristl et al (2019) showed that the current research is related to heritage building renovation and the reuse does not address sustainability and universal design issues comprehensively. They stated that the problem is, in particular, that the topics of culture, heritage and sustainability are dealt separately, although there is a strong interconnection between them (Kristl et al, 2019). Economic factors are general economic conditions, determining resource provision of the management practice for the development of social infrastructures.…”

Urban Heritage Facility Management: A Scoping Review

“…UHFM creates a strong, mutually supportive, and non-exploitative community by improving human performance, public participation, health, and well-being [27,88], coping with the demand of the citizen who wishes to live close to the city center (but with a community atmosphere) [15] and allowing local communities the chance to participate in the co-design process [66] (Table 4).…”

“…Discussion on the regulatory systems indicated that the law and regulation improvement are needed to enable heritage management to have a legal basis and enhanced the promotion and awareness of heritage protection, thus improving urban sustainability accordingly to the three basic pillars of society, environment, and economy [88,90]. In order to achieve a sustainable UHFM, it is argued that improvement of the heritage laws that enabled restorations' financing, supporting private investors, and creating a diverse, vital and innovative economy should be integrated comprehensively [27,88,91]. Integrating economic, educational, health, and cultural activities could potentially be a catalyst for the development of the community, not only to attract tourists [92,93].…”

An interactive tool for citizens’ involvement in the sustainable regeneration

“…The European Green Deal lays out the European Commission (2019) strategy to implement the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda and sustainable development goals. Parts of this strategy include a “renovation wave” of public and private buildings and the enforcement of the legislation in relation to the energy performance of buildings, as well as examining initiatives that combine societal pull and technology push in local communities to work towards a sustainable future (Kristl et al , 2019). This paper argues that ambition of cities to prepare for the future by means of smart sustainable technology and efficient use of resources in the continued urbanization first and foremost requires enhanced citizen participation.…”