Retrofit and traditional approaches to comfort - Revision history

Designing Buildings at 07:39, 12 January 2021

2021-01-12T07:39:51Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:39, 12 January 2021
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	* Understanding the performance of solid walls.		* Understanding the performance of solid walls.

−	[[Category:Conservation]] [[Category:History]] [[Category:Sustainability]]	+	[[Category:Conservation]] [[Category:DCN_Commentary]] [[Category:DCN_Guidance]] [[Category:DCN_Research,_Development_and_Innovation]] [[Category:History]] [[Category:Sustainability]]

Designing Buildings at 07:36, 29 November 2020

2020-11-29T07:36:12Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:36, 29 November 2020
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	* The Each Home Counts report and traditional buildings.		* The Each Home Counts report and traditional buildings.
	* Thermal comfort.		* Thermal comfort.
		+	* Traditional buildings health check - pilot project review.
	* Understanding the performance of solid walls.		* Understanding the performance of solid walls.

	[[Category:Conservation]] [[Category:History]] [[Category:Sustainability]]		[[Category:Conservation]] [[Category:History]] [[Category:Sustainability]]

Designing Buildings at 10:35, 18 July 2020

2020-07-18T10:35:47Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:35, 18 July 2020
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	= Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki =		= Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki =

		+	* Assessing moisture in porous building materials.
	* Conservation.		* Conservation.
	* Energy Efficiency and Comfort of Historic Buildings.		* Energy Efficiency and Comfort of Historic Buildings.

Editor at 18:06, 26 May 2020

2020-05-26T18:06:35Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:06, 26 May 2020
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	* Retrofit.		* Retrofit.
	* Retrofitting traditional buildings.		* Retrofitting traditional buildings.
		+	* Tempering heating.
	* The Each Home Counts report and traditional buildings.		* The Each Home Counts report and traditional buildings.
	* Thermal comfort.		* Thermal comfort.

Designing Buildings at 07:23, 23 May 2020

2020-05-23T07:23:45Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:23, 23 May 2020
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	-----		-----
−	This article originally appeared as ‘Rethinking retrofit’ in [https://ihbconline.co.uk/context/164/16/ IHBC's Context 164] (Page 15), published by The Institute of Historic Building Conservation in ~~March~~ 2020. It was written by Robyn Pender, senior architectural conservator at Historic England. With Brian Ridout and Tobit Curteis she edited the Building Environment volume of Historic England’s Practical Building Conservation series.	+	This article originally appeared as ‘Rethinking retrofit’ in [https://ihbconline.co.uk/context/164/16/ IHBC's Context 164] (Page 15), published by The Institute of Historic Building Conservation in May 2020. It was written by Robyn Pender, senior architectural conservator at Historic England. With Brian Ridout and Tobit Curteis she edited the Building Environment volume of Historic England’s Practical Building Conservation series.

	--[[User:Institute_of_Historic_Building_Conservation\|Institute of Historic Building Conservation]]		--[[User:Institute_of_Historic_Building_Conservation\|Institute of Historic Building Conservation]]

Designing Buildings at 09:18, 20 May 2020

2020-05-20T09:18:11Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:18, 20 May 2020
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	* Institute of Historic Building Conservation.		* Institute of Historic Building Conservation.
	* Retrofit.		* Retrofit.
		+	* Retrofitting traditional buildings.
	* The Each Home Counts report and traditional buildings.		* The Each Home Counts report and traditional buildings.
	* Thermal comfort.		* Thermal comfort.

Designing Buildings at 09:14, 20 May 2020

2020-05-20T09:14:33Z

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	{\|		{\|
−	\| [[File:~~Lifespan of retrofit measures~~.png]]	+	\| [[File:Lifespan_of_retrofit_measures.png\|link=File:Lifespan_of_retrofit_measures.png]]
	\|-		\|-
	\| Lifespan of retrofit measures.		\| Lifespan of retrofit measures.
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	* Retrofit.		* Retrofit.
	* The Each Home Counts report and traditional buildings.		* The Each Home Counts report and traditional buildings.
		+	* Thermal comfort.
	* Understanding the performance of solid walls.		* Understanding the performance of solid walls.

	[[Category:Conservation]] [[Category:History]] [[Category:Sustainability]]		[[Category:Conservation]] [[Category:History]] [[Category:Sustainability]]

Designing Buildings: Protected "Retrofit and traditional approaches to comfort" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

2020-05-19T10:26:48Z

Protected "Retrofit and traditional approaches to comfort" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

← Older revision

Revision as of 10:26, 19 May 2020

Designing Buildings at 10:26, 19 May 2020

2020-05-19T10:26:31Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:26, 19 May 2020
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	{\|		{\|
−	~~\|width="100%"~~\| [[File:~~Peterborough cathedral thermal image~~.png]]	+	\| [[File:Peterborough_cathedral_thermal_image.png\|link=File:Peterborough_cathedral_thermal_image.png]]
	\|-		\|-
	\| Heating the air, especially periodic heating or heating in spaces with tall ceilings, induces air movement and brings in draughts. Draughts are also an unpleasant side-effect of air conditioning, since to be conditioned the air must be passed through a system of ducts and vented back into the space (Image of Peterborough Cathedral: Tobit Curteis Associates).		\| Heating the air, especially periodic heating or heating in spaces with tall ceilings, induces air movement and brings in draughts. Draughts are also an unpleasant side-effect of air conditioning, since to be conditioned the air must be passed through a system of ducts and vented back into the space (Image of Peterborough Cathedral: Tobit Curteis Associates).
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	Meanwhile, the whole-life carbon costs of retrofit measures are discussed surprisingly little. How much carbon do they cost to make, install and operate? How long will they last? We know triple glazing embodies a great deal of carbon but has such short a life span that it cannot deliver a true carbon benefit; but almost nothing is published about insulation systems. When will replacement be needed, and what would it entail: will it be necessary to strip the roof or walls? We need this information to reduce untimely failure, and to judge whether benefits outweigh risks. Since we are dealing with buildings with extremely long lifespans, carbon costing of retrofit measures must be factored out across many years, and take into account lifespan and replacement. If an intervention could compromise the building’s lifespan, that must also be considered. If the lifespan of a retrofit is short, and the carbon input high, this can easily overwhelm apparent carbon saving over the lifespan of the building.		Meanwhile, the whole-life carbon costs of retrofit measures are discussed surprisingly little. How much carbon do they cost to make, install and operate? How long will they last? We know triple glazing embodies a great deal of carbon but has such short a life span that it cannot deliver a true carbon benefit; but almost nothing is published about insulation systems. When will replacement be needed, and what would it entail: will it be necessary to strip the roof or walls? We need this information to reduce untimely failure, and to judge whether benefits outweigh risks. Since we are dealing with buildings with extremely long lifespans, carbon costing of retrofit measures must be factored out across many years, and take into account lifespan and replacement. If an intervention could compromise the building’s lifespan, that must also be considered. If the lifespan of a retrofit is short, and the carbon input high, this can easily overwhelm apparent carbon saving over the lifespan of the building.
		+
		+	{\|
		+	\| [[File:Lifespan of retrofit measures.png]]
		+	\|-
		+	\| Lifespan of retrofit measures.
		+	\|}

	But in focusing on the mechanics of sealing and insulating buildings, are we missing another still more critical point? These risky and invasive measures are being taken for one principal reason: to prevent the loss of conditioned (heated or cooled) air from the interior. That in turn is because of a paradigm that the comfort of occupants – and therefore a building’s use – centres on the interior air temperature. We assume that we can only be comfortable in a very narrow air-temperature range, but this is a paradigm well overdue for questioning.		But in focusing on the mechanics of sealing and insulating buildings, are we missing another still more critical point? These risky and invasive measures are being taken for one principal reason: to prevent the loss of conditioned (heated or cooled) air from the interior. That in turn is because of a paradigm that the comfort of occupants – and therefore a building’s use – centres on the interior air temperature. We assume that we can only be comfortable in a very narrow air-temperature range, but this is a paradigm well overdue for questioning.

Designing Buildings at 10:23, 19 May 2020

2020-05-19T10:23:37Z

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	Ill-advised retrofits not only waste carbon, but they can severely damage buildings – through dampness, among much else – that have hitherto worked well for perhaps hundreds of years.		Ill-advised retrofits not only waste carbon, but they can severely damage buildings – through dampness, among much else – that have hitherto worked well for perhaps hundreds of years.
		+
		+	{\|
		+	\|width="100%"\| [[File:Peterborough cathedral thermal image.png]]
		+	\|-
		+	\| Heating the air, especially periodic heating or heating in spaces with tall ceilings, induces air movement and brings in draughts. Draughts are also an unpleasant side-effect of air conditioning, since to be conditioned the air must be passed through a system of ducts and vented back into the space (Image of Peterborough Cathedral: Tobit Curteis Associates).
		+	\|}

	The UK parliament’s aspiration that the country be ‘net-zero’ by 2050 is focusing minds on that substantial portion of carbon attributable to the built environment. While cutting carbon is to be welcomed, there are risks inherent in hasty action, not least maladaptation (where ‘improvements’ end up costing more carbon than they actually save). Ill-advised retrofits not only waste carbon, but can severely damage buildings that have worked well for perhaps hundreds of years. The potential of ‘deep retrofit’ to cause damage is well proven, and the energy benefits of adding insulation to many solid walls is much debated. And these are not benign systems that one might add ‘just in case’.		The UK parliament’s aspiration that the country be ‘net-zero’ by 2050 is focusing minds on that substantial portion of carbon attributable to the built environment. While cutting carbon is to be welcomed, there are risks inherent in hasty action, not least maladaptation (where ‘improvements’ end up costing more carbon than they actually save). Ill-advised retrofits not only waste carbon, but can severely damage buildings that have worked well for perhaps hundreds of years. The potential of ‘deep retrofit’ to cause damage is well proven, and the energy benefits of adding insulation to many solid walls is much debated. And these are not benign systems that one might add ‘just in case’.