Projects

B³-RetroTool aims at offering a new vision of Brussels Capital region (BCR) by approaching the retrofitting of the city from different scales and from an integrated multi-criteria and multi-scale approach.

The urban fabric is defined in different layers of datasets. Three scales have been integrated in this research project: the neighbourhood, the city block and the buildings (dwellings built before 1945).

Through a top-down and bottom-up approach, all the layers are meant to be linked horizontally so different scenarios of retrofitting could be proposed and assessed by transversal heritage, environmental and energy concepts. The key is probably to consider these aspects in a non-compartmentalized, complementary way, in order to reach a global objective through a sustainable and responsible approach.

During the first two years, the methodology and process to generate all the databases, that make possible the delivery of reliable outcomes, have been developed. The research has focused on the definition of criteria for each of these scales to identify typologies and propose suitable urban or architectural interventions in each situation to preserve heritage value and chose relevant energy performances, materials and systems.

During the third year, the tool has been refined and verified by some BCR stakeholders that are actively participating in the development of the tool by integrating real data from past success retrofitting examples.

So far, the tool only includes information of the buildings built before 1945. Nevertheless, the easy implementation of the tool will allow any further implementation of other building stocks in the future.

Furthermore than a monitoring tool, B³-RetroTool offers a complete vision of the heritage, environmental and energy situation of BCR building stock. A series of deliverables have been produced: Analysis and Mapping of Urban Metabolism, Analysis and Urban repartition of building and city-block typologies, Analysis of case studies (building and city-block), Identification of Retrofitting principles and Assessment of those principles with Heritage Value, Energy and Environmental impact criteria. Those deliverables could be found as back-up documents.