20.06.2025
You’re welcome to explore good practices in neighbourhood and building cluster renovation!
The report titled “Characterisation of the Demand for Building Renovation Solutions: the Case of the BARRIO Pilot Markets“ is one of the key documents of the BARRIO project. It explores the evolution of renovation concepts (energy renovation, revitalisation, regeneration, etc.) and compares single-building renovations with integrated renovations of building clusters and neighbourhoods. These broader approaches enable more efficient planning, greater energy and cost savings, broader citizen involvement, and better opportunities for meeting climate goals.
The report also presents the key strategies, standards, and certification schemes relevant to sustainable and positive energy neighbourhoods. It covers concepts such as sustainable neighbourhoods, positive energy districts, and UN-Habitat’s principles (e.g., MY Neighbourhood), as well as European certification schemes like BREEAM, DGNB, and LEED for comprehensive urban renovation. The focus is on linking quality of life, social cohesion, and energy and environmental goals in holistic designs for the neighbourhoods of the future.
As part of this work, the report includes a comprehensive list of over 70 European examples of renovation practices, with direct references and links provided within the document itself. From this broad collection, a selection of particularly relevant and inspiring cases is described in more detail. These good practices illustrate successful approaches: from industrialised solutions and community-led energy renovations (Italy, Belgium), to financing models based on energy performance contracts (Poland), and municipal or cooperative-led projects (Austria, Slovenia). Particularly valuable is the example from Ravne na Koroškem in Slovenia, where the renovation of a neighbourhood using prefabricated façade modules triggered further renovations in the area. The report identifies key success factors, such as resident engagement, political support, access to resources, and the use of digital tools (BIM, GIS).
In its second part, the document analyses the state of demand for building and neighbourhood renovation in four pilot areas—Slovenia, Italy, Spain, and Bulgaria—through the lens of a PESTEL analysis (political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors). The analysis highlights national and local differences, but also common challenges: from fragmented ownership structures and lack of knowledge to limited inclusion of vulnerable groups in renovation processes. These insights will serve as a foundation for the development of BARRIO’s digital renovation tool – the Defragmentation Multidisciplinary Toolkit (DMT), which will connect renovation needs with technical solutions, service providers, and financing.
This document thus offers a comprehensive overview of the content that will inform the further development of the BARRIO tool for neighbourhood and building cluster renovation and lays the groundwork for more inclusive, efficient, and replicable renovation efforts across Europe.
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