Concept
Cultural heritage buildings are central to Europe’s identity, but they are difficult to adapt to modern comfort, energy, and accessibility standards. Conventional renovation methods often conflict with conservation rules.
HERIT4AGES develops reversible and resource-efficient solutions that safeguard heritage while improving performance and usability.
Protection regulations restrict invasive interventions.
High energy demand and operational costs reduce long-term sustainability.
Challenges
Existing retrofitting solutions are often incompatible with traditional materials.
Monitoring and preventive conservation tools are underused.
Broad acceptance is essential, requiring the involvement of authorities, users, and local communities.
How it works?
HERIT4AGES will design and validate a set of technical and socially innovative solutions (TRL 5) to achieve cost-effective preservation and improvement of cultural heritage buildings. These solutions target energy efficiency, resilience, accessibility, and indoor environmental quality, while ensuring reversibility and compatibility with heritage values.
Co-creation toolkit
+A methodology and framework related to the inclusion of social innovation processes and co-creation focused on the improvement of cultural heritage buildings.
Digital twin ecosystem platform
+A smart monitoring and heritage preventive conservation development combined with tailored tools covering the whole heritage built environment’s life cycle: design, renovation works, operation, monitoring and management, and maintenance.
Green environmental sensors
+Novel environmentally friendly sensors used to measure humidity, temperature and electrochemical / physical gas parameters targeting Volatile Organic Compounds, pollutants and chemical agents associated with the onset of degradation.
Smart energy router
+Intelligent power electronics-based system that allows integration and management of energy from/to different sources (AC distribution grid, renewable energy sources), loads and storage systems.
Renovation solutions: wall, floor, ceiling
+Investigation and development in building materials for heritage retrofitting building solutions: versatile, modular and removable walls, partitions and technical floors.
Testing in real buildings
Solutions are tested and validated in five listed buildings representing diverse uses, climates, and conservation contexts:
Heritage Testing lab
Heritage Living labs
These demonstration sites provide real-world data on performance, comfort, acceptance, and replicability.
Goals
Energy performance
Reduction in energy consumption, increased flexibility and higher use of renewable energy sources.
Comfort & air quality
Fewer hours of thermal discomfort and lower concentrations of indoor pollutants.
Heritage preservation
Reversible solutions fully compatible with traditional materials and construction techniques.
Cost & disruption
Shorter installation times, reduced maintenance costs and minimal disruption for occupants.
Accessibility
Universal design principles enabling wider accessibility and long-term usability of the heritage sites.
Community engagement
Active participation of end-users and cultural heritage stakeholders in every project phase.
People-centred, heritage-safe
Herit4Ages is guided by heritage authorities and experts, but also by the people who live, work, and learn in these buildings. By combining technology, sustainable materials, and social innovation, the project shows that heritage can be preserved without being left behind.