OPTIMIZING DECARBONIZATION AND OCCUPANT WELL-BEING IN DEEP RENOVATION WITH THRIVE: A NEB & LEEDv5 INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK

Deep renovation of existing buildings through industrialized, prefabricated envelopes integrated with energy and ventilation system upgrades offers a promising pathway towards both achieving global reduction targets for carbon emissions and improving occupant well-being. However, it remains to be thoroughly tested to what extent such models can simultaneously meet these goals in real projects. Previous research has typically assessed energy, life-cycle carbon, and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) outcomes of deep renovation solutions separately, or at most incorporated two of the three.

The recently released New European Bauhaus Self-Assessment Method (NEB-SAM) and the newest version of the US-based LEED rating system, LEEDv5, are among the most cutting-edge sustainable building frameworks. However, the two come from very different regional backgrounds, are designed for different purposes, and cover scope well beyond major building renovations. To streamline global adoption of optimized deep renovation solutions, a simplified evaluation methodology capturing the best of these frameworks and tailored specifically to deep renovation projects could be beneficial. Therefore, a novel Transatlantic, Holistic Renovation assessment framework for decarbonization, Indoor enVironmental quality, and Equity (THRIVE) is proposed.

THRIVE is built on integrated measures inspired by NEB-SAM indicators and LEEDv5 credits, organized in four analysis blocks covering 1. embodied carbon; 2. operational carbon; 3. IEQ (assessed through daylight, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality); and 4. resilience, aesthetics, and inclusiveness. User-friendly results are delivered at the measure, block, and project level, enabling the identification of relative strengths and weakness and assisting the user in developing recommendations for improvement.

This paper showcases THRIVE through a case study application to the EU Horizon-funded “AEGIR” project (Grant agreement ID: 101079961), specifically to the deep renovation of a demonstration educational building in Spain using innovative strategies which include an industrialized, bio-based envelope, smart ventilation, and an integrated renewable energy hub.