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Project
DYNSTRA - Dynamic Reuse Strategies for the retroffiting of post-war housing in Brussels.(ikv Strategic Platform - ENVI-2012) (BRGEOZ218)
Today, the post-war housing estate in Brussels is requiring a large scale retrofitting approach, relating to environmental, functional, technical or even architectural deficiencies typical for these buildings. Moreover, post-war residential buildings predating the oil-crisis of the 1970s have been identified as a main concern in the context of the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) in order to substantially decrease the consumption of our natural resources.
In the framework of the retrofitting actions planned to bring post-war residential buildings to our contemporary standards, this research project addresses opportunities of sustainableresource and waste management as a complement to energetic and architectural retrofitting. Therefore, during the upgrade of the post-war housing estate in Brussels today, it is essential to introduce a dynamic retrofitting approach that anticipates the future building life cycle (including adaptation, maintenance and end-of-life stages)in order to minimise material consumption and waste production in the long term.
Recently completed studies in the Transformable Structures research group of the ARCH department (Architectural Engineering) relating to dynamic retrofitting of post-war apartment buildings illustrate how the combination of dry detailing principles, physical disconnection of functional building layers and application of standardised compatible building (sub) components enables to re-design buildings to deal efficiently with change over time. By enhancing the flexibility of existing buildings and using adaptable and reusable construction kits for the retrofitting, the building parts are upgradable and demountable in the future without adding to the building waste streams. Reversible (dry) connection principles enhance non-destructive adaptation/dismantling of building components in order to facilitate future building upgrade and enhance efficient sorting into non-mixed material fractions at the end-of-life stage of buildings. In the context of evolving EPBD policies and rapidly changing living patterns this approach shows important benefits when applied to the building envelope and the interior fitting-out.
Therefore, this project has two main research goals:
- Transmit the research results to practical applications (proof-of-concept) for dynamic solutions in the field of retrofitting of post-war buildings in the Brussels context, based on detailing with reversible connections and reusable & standardised building elements.
- Provide added value to the recycling & reuse sector in Brussels: optimisation of the dismantling practice in order to promote selective sorting of building materials with increased recycling and reuse of building (sub) components at the building site.
In the framework of the retrofitting actions planned to bring post-war residential buildings to our contemporary standards, this research project addresses opportunities of sustainableresource and waste management as a complement to energetic and architectural retrofitting. Therefore, during the upgrade of the post-war housing estate in Brussels today, it is essential to introduce a dynamic retrofitting approach that anticipates the future building life cycle (including adaptation, maintenance and end-of-life stages)in order to minimise material consumption and waste production in the long term.
Recently completed studies in the Transformable Structures research group of the ARCH department (Architectural Engineering) relating to dynamic retrofitting of post-war apartment buildings illustrate how the combination of dry detailing principles, physical disconnection of functional building layers and application of standardised compatible building (sub) components enables to re-design buildings to deal efficiently with change over time. By enhancing the flexibility of existing buildings and using adaptable and reusable construction kits for the retrofitting, the building parts are upgradable and demountable in the future without adding to the building waste streams. Reversible (dry) connection principles enhance non-destructive adaptation/dismantling of building components in order to facilitate future building upgrade and enhance efficient sorting into non-mixed material fractions at the end-of-life stage of buildings. In the context of evolving EPBD policies and rapidly changing living patterns this approach shows important benefits when applied to the building envelope and the interior fitting-out.
Therefore, this project has two main research goals:
- Transmit the research results to practical applications (proof-of-concept) for dynamic solutions in the field of retrofitting of post-war buildings in the Brussels context, based on detailing with reversible connections and reusable & standardised building elements.
- Provide added value to the recycling & reuse sector in Brussels: optimisation of the dismantling practice in order to promote selective sorting of building materials with increased recycling and reuse of building (sub) components at the building site.
Date:1 Jan 2013 → 31 Dec 2014
Keywords:Social Highrise, Truss Design, Design methods, Theory of architecture, Architecture, Social housing, Social highrise, Design education, Tensile structures, Education, Renovation, Harmonic Progression, Engineering, Formfinding, Building technology, renovation, Fire engineering
Disciplines:Civil and building engineering, Materials engineering