Sustainable restoration of traditional building systems in the historical centre of Sevilla (Spain)

This study applies eco-efficiency and sustainability criteria to the restoration of a building, as an alternative to strict compliance with planning rules in this field.The house we have studied dates from the 18th to 19th century and is located in the historical centre of the city of Sevilla, Spain. The main aim is to compare two different restoration plans from an eco-efficiency and sustainability perspective. We also assess the use of recently revived traditional construction systems for this type of building as a means to increase sustainability.The results from the energy survey carried out in compliance with state building regulations show that a restoration project must be seen as an opportunity to make use of traditional construction systems as a tool for revitalizing and conserving historical city centres, and for promoting a new building model with sustainability as the centrepiece of architectural restoration.

► A sustainable restoration project for residential buildings in Sevilla is proposed. ► The passive solutions in the proposal balance the energy demand throughout the year. ► This design reduces CO2 emissions by more than 50% during this useful life. ► This proposal contributes to the restoration with traditional construction systems.