A Sustainable Approach to the Adaptive Reuse of Historic Brick Buildings:Analysis of Energy Efficiency Strategies for Historic Facade Retrofits

Abstract

There are many historic brick buildings in downtown areas of the U.S. that are awaiting appropriate strategies for their adaptive reuse and preservation. The adaptive reuse method enables the adaptation of existing, obsolete historic buildings into new, mixed-use developments that will play an essential role in enhancing urban environments. However, many of these buildings have poor energy performance. This paper explores sustainable methods to balance between historic preservation and reduction of peak energy loads, through analyzing design strategies and conducting energy simulations for a building in downtown, Austin, TX. Energy retrofits related to windows, high performance of the facades with added insulation, and passive (spatial) interventions are covered in depth. Four retrofit scenarios were applied and simulated using the energy analysis tool in Revit, a popular BIM program. Analyzing the energy consumption data, we compare an existing building's facade condition to the retrofit scenarios' energy performances and record the energy performance data. This research proposes energy efficient preservation options for historic buildings and ultimately emphasizes potential values such as balancing the integrity of the original design with energy goals. We explore novel solutions for making historic buildings more sustainable through combining the adaptive reuse method with energy retrofit strategies that play up the historic buildings' unique passive potentials. The various solutions are found to be highly dependent on the climate.

Perceived benefits of retrofitted residential secondary glazing: an exploratory Australian study

“…In line with the findings of the studies on the thermal insulation properties of secondary glazed windows, open-ended answers provided by some respondents in our study suggest better indoor thermal stability and a reduced demand for heating and cooling (Kim and Felkner, 2018; Fitton et al , 2017; Harjunowibowo et al , 2019; Smith et al , 2012). One of the respondents commented on this with the following:Both heating and cooling times have been reduced.…”

“…Despite having been used for a relatively long time, particularly on buildings having heritage value to preserve the original window frames, there is limited research on secondary glazing in the literature compared to double glazing. The available research, nevertheless shows that secondary glazing not only provides considerable energy savings and energy peak use reduction, but also improves indoor thermal comfort by reduced air infiltration and condensation (Kim and Felkner 2018;Fitton et al,, 2017;Smith et al,, 2012). Reporting on simulations for different secondary glazed windows in four different locations in New Zealand, Smith et al,, (2012) and Smith & Isaacs, (2009) found that secondary glazing can improve, compared to single glazing, the R-value of a window from 130% through to 290%, depending on the glazing and materials used.…”

Thermal performance of retrofitted secondary glazed windows in residential buildings – two cases from Australia

“…There are several secondary glazing products available, ranging from "stickon" PVC layers to additional windowpanes (Dowson et al, 2011;Smith et al, 2009). Studies undertaken in Texas and New Zealand show that secondary glazing can save energy, cut energy use peaks and enhance thermal comfort (Smith et al, 2009;Smith et al, 2009Smith et al, , 2012Fitton et al, 2017;Kim and Felkner, 2018).…”