Efficiency and Sustainability: The Role of Digitization in Re-Inhabiting the Existing Building Stock

Federico Cinquepalmi, Spartaco Paris, Elisa Pennacchia () and Virginia Adele Tiburcio
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Federico Cinquepalmi: Department of Architecture and Design, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Flaminia 359, 00196 Rome, Italy
Spartaco Paris: Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Antonio Gramsci 53, 00197 Roma, Italy
Elisa Pennacchia: Department of Architecture and Design, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Flaminia 359, 00196 Rome, Italy
Virginia Adele Tiburcio: Department of Civil, Constructional and Environmental Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Roma, Italy

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 9, 1-21

Abstract: Cities are complex and constantly evolving systems where changing social needs have always reshaped the built environment. Considering recent evolutionary trends in housing emergencies, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, and environmental sustainability goals, a rethinking of the building heritage is fundamental. This article aims to promote the conversion of buildings designed initially for nonresidential uses as a process and project strategy based on energy efficiency and a holistic and integrated vision of the circular economy. The methodological approach is based on two main phases: definition of evaluative parameters for the potential reuse of a building, and integration of the evaluation system in a BIM and GIS environment. The result is a tool for rapid automatic pre-evaluation of the potential conversion of a building into a residential space. Applying the developed methodology allows for a practical approach to the significant issue of sustainable construction, with particular attention to energy improvement and the reduction of environmental impact related to the construction of new buildings. The originality of the contribution lies in the systematization of various digital technologies to provide fundamental support for managing and transforming the varied and widespread unused real estate assets in a state of abandonment and degradation.

Keywords: adaptive reuse; multicriteria evaluation tools; building information modeling; geographic information system; building efficiency; energy savings; data analytics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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