Scalable façade renovation solution for Dutch system-built houses

Abstract

The building sector significantly impacts the environment, consuming 42% of the EU's energy and producing 36% of its greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve its climate objectives, the Netherlands must accelerate its home renovation rate to 200,000 annually by 2030. This research addresses the scalability and circularity of façade renovation for these system-built houses, aiming to balance immediate energy efficiency improvements with long-term sustainability.
This research focuses on designing a scalable and circular façade renovation system for post-war Dutch system-built houses. These homes, built between 1945 and 1975, represent around 30% of the Dutch housing stock and are in critical need of energy efficiency upgrades. However, the embodied energy involved in renovations presents a significant challenge to meeting climate goals. The study's primary focus is answering: "How can a scalable and circular façade renovation system be designed for Dutch system-built houses from the post-war period?" The research investigates current façade renovation systems, their limitations, and the potential role of circularity in creating sustainable renovation strategies. It also examines building typologies, highlighting similarities and differences among system-built houses to develop design criteria for scalable and circular renovation. Although time constraints prevented the development of a complete design, the research reveals that many existing façade components, such as brick slip systems and prefabricated frames, already perform well. However, achieving flexibility and scalability remains challenging, particularly in balancing cost, energy efficiency, and building-specific constraints. This work lays the groundwork for future research into developing standardized, adaptable façade renovation systems for the Dutch housing stock, contributing to more sustainable and efficient building practices while addressing the challenges posed by post-war system-built houses.