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½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ participates in project for sustainable heritage retrofit and resilience

½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ is participating in the which strengthens the resilience of modern and industrial heritage buildings and addresses low-carbon sustainable renovation and retrofit for adaptive reuse of heritage buildings.

SINCERE consists of a consortium of seven universities, two research institutions, one SME, three industries, one governmental body and two non-profit organizations. It is implemented across multiple scales and levels through six work packages. WP1 covers project management and coordination. WP2 implements and evaluates novel materials, methodologies and digital tools on pilot buildings, including restoration assessment and systematic monitoring. WP3 develops software and applications for digitizing historic buildings throughout their lifecycle using MR, VR, H-DT and AI. WP4 develops sustainable cementitious composites with self-healing and corrosion-inhibiting properties for retrofitting. WP5 focuses on passive radiative cooling materials and energy harvesting solutions, including integrated perovskite solar cells. Finally, WP6 addresses public engagement, climate awareness and commercial exploitation of the project results.

½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ is involved in WP2 and WP6 through the management of all pilot site implementations, leading the interventions at the Malta pilot and assessing the recyclability of the developed ultra-high-performance concrete and its adaptation.

Five pilot sites are being used to test and demonstrate the novel and advanced materials developed. These include ultra-high-performance concrete, textile-reinforced concrete, building-integrated PVs, radiative cooling paints, mortars with hempcrete, phase-change materials and corrosion inhibitors providing self-healing properties. The project integrates sensor monitoring systems to assess the energy and thermal performance of novel material samples on the pilot sites. The interventions, pilot management and maintenance are also supported by digital technologies, specifically H-BIM and D-TWINS.

The pilot sites include an open-lab structure for material testing and monitoring located in Madrid (Spain). Three Mediterranean heritage pilot sites include a Neoclassical school in Rhodes (Greece), the Holon Institute of Technology (Israel), and the Inwadar Searchlight Post (Malta), all exposed to hot, dry summers and mild, humid winters. The fifth pilot site is the blast furnace workers’ building in Ostrava (Czech Republic), characterized by a Northern European climate with colder temperatures.

The SINCERE interventions specifically address the different needs of the buildings, tailored to the climate conditions, current state, original materials and requirements to sustain the current use or intended adaptive reuse while adhering to conservation principles. Expected building benefits include improved occupant comfort, enhanced energy and thermal performance without compromising the heritage character. These outcomes will be supported by data as the novel materials are monitored through sensors.

The SINCERE project validates an integrated sustainable retrofit strategy for 20th-century cultural heritage assets, combining structural, thermal, energy and conservation objectives. This approach is essential for selecting optimal retrofitting solutions, planning for climate change adaptation and enhancing energy efficiency.

The project highlights the need to shift focus from new, high-carbon construction to the retrofit and adaptive reuse of heritage buildings using low-carbon materials, addressing the increasing vulnerability of these assets to climate impacts.

For further information on the Sincere Horizon Project contact the Principal Investigator Prof. Ruben Paul Borg.