Contribution of Roof Refurbishment to Urban Sustainability

Ángel Pitarch, María José Ruá, Lucía Reig and Inés Arín
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Ángel Pitarch: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Construction, Jaume I University, CP12071 Castellón, Spain
María José Ruá: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Construction, Jaume I University, CP12071 Castellón, Spain
Lucía Reig: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Construction, Jaume I University, CP12071 Castellón, Spain
Inés Arín: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Construction, Jaume I University, CP12071 Castellón, Spain

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 19, 1-20

Abstract: Achieving sustainable urban environments is a challenging goal—especially in existing cities with high percentages of old and obsolete buildings. This work analyzes the contribution of roof refurbishment to sustainability, considering that most roofs are currently underused. Many potential benefits of refurbishment can be achieved, such as the improvement of the energy performance of the buildings and the use of a wasted space for increasing green areas or for social purposes. In order to estimate the degree of the improvement, a vulnerable area in Castellón (east Spain) was selected as a case study. A thorough analysis of the residential building stock was undertaken. Using georeferenced information from the Cadastral Office we classified them according to typology, year of construction and roof type. Some refurbishment solutions were proposed and their applicability to the actual buildings was analyzed under different criteria. The theoretical benefits obtained in the neighborhood such as energy and carbon emissions savings were evaluated, together with the increase of green areas. Moreover, other social uses were suggested for neglected urban spaces in the area. Finally, a more accurate analysis was performed combining different solutions in a specific building, according to its particular characteristics.

Keywords: urban regeneration; roof refurbishment; energy performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:19:p:8111-:d:422578

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