Ensuring proper management of building renovation based on an optimised decision-making model: Application in schools and social housing from southern Europe.

Abstract

One of the main challenges for architects and technicians is the efficient management of the built environment, in response to the growing deterioration and obsolescence in the building stock. This research introduces the design, development and application of a novel decision support system that assesses the multidisciplinary advantages or disadvantages of different intervention strategies, mainly focused on schools and social housing. The concept of the model aims to gather, interrelate and weight different renovation factors and variables, according to technical, social, energy and economic parameters, quantifying results on the impacts, consequences and benefits of each renovation strategy and providing practical outcomes in the design, construction, management and maintenance stages. This study uses schools and multi-family buildings, located in southern Europe, to apply and test the system iteratively in both building typologies, serving to adjust the calculation model and demonstrate its operation and replicability. The results are classified according to different intensity levels with their corresponding design alternatives along with a graphical output of results for decision-making. This model is expected to contribute to policy-making by introducing new theoretical and practical renovation guidelines, with a rational adjustment of proposals and ensuring effective and feasible action strategies in the built environment.