On January 17-18, 2024, the FuturHist project’s partners gathered in Bolzano for a kick-off meeting organised by the project leader, Eurac Research. Over 30 representatives from partner institutions attended the meeting. We got to know each other and started working on the activities outlined in the project’s work packages.
While research plays an essential role in FuturHist, it is not supposed to be a theoretical exercise only – said the project’s coordinator – Daniel Herrera, during his introductory speech. Instead, it will be a real-life demonstration of the retrofit solutions tailored to the needs and implemented in four demo-case buildings in Córdoba, Edinburgh, Kraków, and Linköping.
Every location has its own set of unique challenges, as the demo case representatives explained. For example, the building in Córdoba does not have adequate heating and cooling systems. On the other hand, in Edinburgh, we need to investigate retrofitting solutions for the timber sash and case windows to minimise draught and heat losses. In Kraków, we will explore the insulation of the building envelope, including internal insulation of the facade and internal or external insulation of other elevations or the reintroduction of traditional clay insulation of foundation walls. In Kraków, the building administrator is responsible for managing several similar buildings. Therefore, the impact of FuturHist could be amplified, as the solutions demonstrated in the pilot buildings will have a potential for application in other buildings with the same structural features.
In Bolzano, we also discussed the project targets and expected outcomes, including the ambitious goal of reducing energy demand by at least 60% while preserving historical cultural heritage values.
The cherry on top of the FuturHist kick-off was our visit to the Eurac Research laboratories. Here, the materials selected for research work in the project and implementation in demo case buildings will be explored and evaluated.
