Conference Agenda

This paper presents a comparative analysis of energy-efficient retrofit strategies across three historically significant Brutalist buildings in the Western Balkans, each representing a distinct typology and climate condition: a residential complex in Sarajevo (cold climate), a civic cultural center in Kolasin (cold climate), and a multi-use congress center in Belgrade (mixed climate). The study investigates how context-specific design strategies can inform broader frameworks for sustainable retrofitting of culturally significant modernist architecture. Methods combined archival research, fieldwork, and computational performance modeling. Environmental response, envelope performance, and full-building Energy Use Intensity (EUI) were evaluated using Revit, WINDOW, THERM, WUFI, and IES-VE under both existing and proposed retrofit scenarios. Retrofit strategies prioritized improved passive thermal performance through envelope upgrades and the replacement of fossil fuel–based systems with high-efficiency electrified mechanical systems. Across all three case studies, projected whole-building EUI reductions ranged between 53–56%, demonstrating that minimally invasive retrofits can substantially improve performance while preserving architectural character. However, envelope-only interventions proved insufficient to meet energy reduction targets, yielding highly variable savings between 7–33%. Significant performance gains were achieved only when envelope improvements were combined with decoupled and upgraded mechanical systems. Findings highlight the importance of localized decision-making, as climate, construction typology, and original material assemblies directly shaped retrofit priorities and outcomes. By comparing diverse building types and urban contexts, the study demonstrates that modernist architectural stock, which is often perceived as inefficient, can be transformed into high-performing assets. The research proposes a scalable, culturally responsive retrofit framework grounded in climate-specific and typology-driven analysis, with future work extending this methodology to additional building types and regions.

ABSTRACT: As the global construction industry confronts the challenges of climate change, resource depletion, and waste generation, adaptive reuse offers a practical and culturally sensitive pathway to reduce embodied carbon in the built environment. This paper presents a comparative life‑cycle assessment (LCA) of three development scenarios for Building 12 at Pier 70 in San Francisco: demolition and new construction, adaptive reuse, and low‑carbon adaptive reuse. Using One Click LCA and a cradle‑to‑grave boundary, the analysis quantifies Global Warming Potential (GWP) and biogenic carbon storage for each scenario and links outcomes to material choices, preservation constraints, and design strategies. Results indicate that adaptive reuse (retaining structural components and façade cladding) reduces embodied GWP by 44% relative to new construction, and that combining retention with low‑carbon material substitutions—engineered timber, optimized concrete mixes, recycled steel, and bio‑based insulation—in summary, biogenic materials and circular economy practices, can further lower emissions by 65% while increasing biogenic carbon storage. The low‑carbon adaptive reuse scenario approaches a net‑negative material balance over the assessed service life (50 years), functioning as a carbon sink rather than a carbon emitter. Pier 70 thus serves not only as a redevelopment project but also as a living laboratory that illustrates how heritage structures can be transformed into environmental assets that both avoid emissions and contribute to carbon sequestration. The findings advocate for embedding adaptive reuse within evaluation frameworks, planning incentives, and design standards across the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) sectors. By shifting from demolition to reuse, the industry can honor the past while designing for a low-carbon future. The study concludes with recommendations for practice and policy to mainstream reuse as a central decarbonization strategy in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) sector.

This multidisciplinary initiative explores the potential of a site-built stress-skin panel, the Vaulted Insulated Metal Roof Panel (vIMRP), to facilitate low-cost residential roof assemblies. This paper complements full-scale construction of the proposed roof assembly with computational modeling and analysis of the structural and thermal efficacy of the system. The proposed vIMRP incorporates corrugated galvanized metal sheets as an exposed vaulted ceiling surface to increase the structural capacity of the panel and eliminate additional costs due to Finishing Trades. This paper presents two cycles of a recursive action research sequence that weave together faculty from the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and the School of Architecture. Findings from the research include key techniques in the sequence of construction, deflection tables, along with thermal insulation analysis and strategies for roof and eaves details.