COURSE 2.2: Management, reuse and sustainability (4 ECTS)
Introduction:
The program offers a comprehensive exploration of key topics in sustainable architecture and cultural heritage, aiming to equip students with an understanding of environmental considerations and economic valuations within building renovation and cultural preservation. The program delves into crucial aspects such as climate change mitigation, bioclimatic design, building renovation strategies, and the economic valuation of cultural heritage. Through theoretical lectures and case studies, students will gain insights into sustainable building practices and the relationship between architectural heritage and environmental and economic value.
The program ends with collaborative exercises and presentations, allowing students to apply their knowledge and skills to real-world scenarios, thus preparing them for the challenges and opportunities in sustainable building practices and cultural heritage conservation.
Objectives
Climate Change and Sustainable Architecture: Understand the impact of climate change on the built environment and learn about sustainable architecture principles, focusing on whole-life carbon vision and international commitments.
Building Renovation Strategies: Explore sustainable building renovation practices, including bioclimatic design principles and operational carbon reduction techniques.
Cultural Heritage Preservation and Economic Valuation: Gain insight into cultural heritage's economic value(s) and learn methods for its valuation, fostering an appreciation for heritage preservation.
Embodied Carbon Reduction: Understand strategies for reducing environmental impacts of building materials, focusing on reuse and recycling, and practice green procurement methods for sustainable building renovation.
Practical Application and Presentation Skills: Apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios, enhance presentation skills through team presentations, and develop collaboration and critical thinking abilities.
Calendar
Presentation: 30/04/2024, 10.00 a.m.
Delivery: 17/05/2024, 1.00 p.m.
Teachers:
Coordinator: Roberto Giordano. 3 ECTS
Indrė Gražulevičiūtė-Vileniškė. 1 ECTS
Course structure and content:
Tuesday 30/04 - Lecture 1 – Climate Change, Architecture and Whole Life Carbon Vision (3 hours)
Lecturer(s): Roberto Giordano
General presentation about the course program.
Theory: Climate change facts and figures, the construction sector's environmental impact, international pledges, the Paris Agreement, mitigation and adaptation strategies, EU commitments, renovation wave and fit for 55, the whole life carbon vision (operational and embodied carbon).
Tuesday 30/04 - Lecture 2 – Buildings renovation showcase (3 hours)
Lecturer(s): Monica Muñoz; Roberto Giordano
Theory: Introduction to European Hiberatlas; description of a case study.
Exercise: Sustainable Building Renovation.
Friday 03/05 – Lecture 3 – Bioclimatic approach in building design to reduce Operational Carbon (4 hours)
Lecturer(s): Monica Muñoz; Roberto Giordano
Theory: Bioclimatic approach in building design to reduce Operational Carbon according to the 2020 and 2050 Climate scenarios.
Exercise: Bioclimatic analysis on a case study.
Tuesday 07/05 – Lecture 4 – Building Renovation to Reduce Operational Carbon - part 1, (3 hours)
Lecturer(s): Monica Muñoz; Roberto Giordano
Theory: Sizing and calculating the building skin operational performances.
Examples of building skin renovations.
Tuesday 07/05 – Lecture 5 – Building Renovation to Reduce Operational Carbon - part 2, (3 hours)
Lecturer(s): Monica Muñoz; Roberto Giordano
Theory: Examples of building skin renovations.
Exercise: Evaluating the building's thermal performance.
Wednesday 08/05 – Lecture 6 - Cultural Heritage as Cultural Good (3 hours)
Lecturer: Indre Grazuleviciute-Vileniske
Theory: The aim of the lecture is to present and analyse immovable cultural heritage (built heritage) as a cultural good.
Exercise: Mind-mapping task - analysis of economic significance of selected category of heritage modernist buildings using mind-map approach, discussion.
Wednesday 08/05 – Lecture 7 - Economic Value(s) of Cultural Heritage (3 hours)
Lecturer: Indre Grazuleviciute-Vileniske
Theory: The lecture aims to present and analyse cultural heritage's economic value(s), focusing mainly on immovable (built) heritage.
Exercise: Design thinking task - analysis of subjective dimension of economic values of cultural heritage (heritage modernist buildings) using Empathy map canvas approach, discussion.
Thursday 09/05 – Lecture 8 - Economic Valuation Methods Applicable to Cultural Heritage (3 hours)
Lecturer: Indre Grazuleviciute-Vileniske
Theory: The aim of the lecture is to present and analyse methods applicable to market and non-market valuation of cultural heritage, focusing mainly on immovable (built) heritage.
Exercise: Design thinking task - generation and elaboration of ideas for better understanding and actualisation of values of cultural heritage (heritage modernist buildings) using Brainstorming and Concept poster approaches.
Thursday 09/05 - Lecture 8 - Economic Valuation Methods Applicable to Cultural Heritage (1 hour)
Lecturer: Indre Grazuleviciute-Vileniske
Exercise: Finalizing Design thinking task, presentation of results and discussion.
Friday 10/05 – Lecture 9 (4 hours)
Lecturer(s): Monica Muñoz; Roberto Giordano
Exercise: Teams' presentations and discussions
Tuesday 14/05 – Lecture 10 – Building Renovation to Reduce Embodied Carbon - part 1, (3 hours)
Lecturer(s): Monica Muñoz; Roberto Giordano
Theory: Accounting for the building materials' embodied impacts (from Life Cycle Assessment to Embodied Energy and Carbon). Some focus on reuse and recycling strategies in building renovation. The certification and labels of building materials
Tuesday 14/05 – Lecture 11 – Building Renovation to Reduce Embodied Carbon - part 2, (3 hours)
Lecturer(s): Monica Muñoz; Roberto Giordano
Theory: How to read and use an Environmental Product Declaration.
Exercise: Green Procurement for Building Renovation.
Friday 17/05 – Lecture 12 (4 hours)
Lecturer(s): Monica Muñoz; Roberto Giordano
Exercise: Final hands-on and presentations
Bibliography
Giordano, R., Andreotti, J. (2023). DEC50: Building decarbonisation tools. TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment, (26), 207–216.
Jenkins M. and Curtis R. 2021. Historic Environment Scotland Guide to Energy Retrofit of Traditional Buildings. Historic Environment Scotland.
Leijonhufvud G. (editor). 2021. Planning energy retrofits of historic buildings. SHC Task 59 | EBC Annex 76 | Report D.B3.
McGregor A., et. al. 2013.Two Degrees. The built environment and our changing climate. Routledge.
Navrud S., Ready R. C. 2002. Methods for Valuing Cultural Heritage. In: Navrud S., Ready R. C. Valuing cultural heritage. Applying environmental valuation techniques to historic buildings, monuments and artefacts. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, pp. 10 - 28.
Throsby D. 2002. Economics and Culture. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Throsby, D., Deodhar, V., Hanna, B., Jewell, B., O'Connor, Z., & Zednik, A. 2010. Measuring the economic and cultural values of historic heritage places.
United Nations Environment Programme (2023). Building Materials and the Climate: Constructing a New Future. Nairobi.
Evaluation and Resit rules:
All the courses/subjects and Master Dissertation have jointly evaluation rules based in the quality of the practical works proposed by the teachers. The student and teachers presence is mandatory. Related with the courses/subjects all the teachers involved in them have to send to the coordinator teacher the individual evaluation of the students
The evaluation level (excellent, good and deficient) will be taken by the coordinator following the opinions of the teachers involved and in agreement with them. The evaluation level will be discussed with the student. If a student fail a course (deficient level), at least one resit per course/subject within the period Block will be allowed. This resit will take into account the new data and solutions reported by the student. The resit evaluation process will be similar to the initial one.
Students with a deficient level after resitting a course/subject will be remain bound to the EMJMD until ends of the respective Block where the course is allocated. In these cases, the Academic Committee will review the study performance status of the student and advises on continuation of the programme in accordance with their regulations. Students with very weak study performance (decided by the Academic Committee) may lose their scholarship or may be advised to end their study. Students who quite ARURCOHE early, but have successfully completed several courses/subjects, will get a certificate stating the courses for which they have earned credits (in ECTS). This decision will be communicated to the Erasmus+ Program office.