ELEMENTS - Development of a procedure for the evaluation of elements of the post-war building stock (1960 - 1979) in Graz, Austria

Starting point / motivation

The discipline of architecture and the building sector are moving towards sustainability and climate neutrality: on the one hand, a large number of scientific publications and research projects on circular building methods and technical solutions for increasing the energy efficiency of buildings, on the other hand, CSRD reporting and energy performance certificates. However, for the promise of a seemingly better future, (too many) new buildings are still being built and existing buildings are being demolished.

In particular, large-volume buildings from the 1960s and 1970s, built in reinforced concrete frame construction and with mixed use - i.e. not exclusively residential - are being demolished or thermally renovated in a way that destroys their spatial and architectural qualities. The reasons for this are highly complex and oscillate between technical feasibility, economic viability, legal requirements and social acceptance.

The development of new planning processes aimed at preserving the target building type is central to achieving climate neutrality, as the building stock of the 1960s and 1970s makes up a large proportion of Austria's building stock: according to the Austrian Building Census, around 25% of Austria's total building stock was built between 1961 and 1980.

Contents and goals

ELEMENTS investigates the different parameters of building refurbishment in order to develop the profile of a follow-up project with the working title "Circular Building Refurbishment Laboratory" (CBR-Lab). Based on selected buildings in the agglomeration of Graz, the CBR-Lab aims to develop a procedure for an early potential analysis of the target building type (1960-79, reinforced concrete frame construction, hybrid) with regard to its refurbishment.

In the future, this procedure shall be transferred to the planning practice and used by companies of the building industry. Due to the international character of the investigated building stock (e.g. with regard to its construction method), the results, which will be developed on the basis of case studies in Graz, can be applied throughout Austria and beyond.

Methods

In order to achieve climate neutrality and reduce resource consumption in the construction industry, innovative projects must be developed to preserve the existing building stock. The focus is usually on the development of technical systems.

ELEMENTS, on the other hand, aims to take an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary view of the situation in order to develop a sustainable approach that takes into account not only technical, but also design-architectural, economic, legal and social aspects. For this reason, the project involves a wide range of stakeholders from the construction industry, administration and users.

On the one hand, content will be developed jointly (co-creation and co-design) to ensure the acceptance of the research results by the involved stakeholders, and on the other hand, user- and needs-oriented renovation concepts will be developed.

In addition, the involvement of stakeholders ensures a knowledge transfer between practice and research as well as between users, administration and construction industry. Thus, the awareness for the social relevance of building preservation and climate neutrality is strengthened.

Expected results

The aim of ELEMENTS is to prepare the best possible implementation of a follow-up project with the working title "CBR-Lab". Based on the development of structural and architectural parameters for a further development of the case studies with regard to their preservation, as well as the presentation of the currently applicable legal and financial framework conditions for a refurbishment, an analysis matrix will be created, which represents a possible further procedure.

This will include proposals for a methodological approach and a rough estimate of the resources required for the CBR Lab. In addition, a stakeholder map will be drawn up: a structured graphical representation of identified relevant stakeholders and their goals, interests, potentials and resources for a follow-up project.

Project management

Institute of Building Theory, Graz University of Technology

Project partners

• Energie Agentur Steiermark
• RENOWAVE.AT
• StadtLABOR – Innovationen für urbane Lebensqualität GmbH
• Research Group for Sustainable Construction, Institute of Structural Design, Graz University of Technology

TU Graz
Eva Sollgruber
Lessingstraße 25/4
Tel.: +43 (316) 873 6792
E-Mail: eva.sollgruber@tugraz.at
Web: www.gl.tugraz.at