RenovActive – Overall 10 Years

Location: Anderlecht, Belgium

Owner/investor: Private company

Architects: Antwerpbased architectural firm ONO architectuur, Le Foyer Anderlechtois

Project type: Social housing complex

Design parameters: Comfort

• The renovation starts with the aim to improve the indoor visual and thermal comfort, assuring a pleasant and healthy environment. New, efficient, roof and façade windows, with dynamic solar blinds, help to control excess heat and to reach excellent performances on DF level. They provide also passive solar gains in winter and fresh air in summer, thanks to an automatic window-opening system. It involves the entire dwelling, because of the stack effect through the new stairwell—a respiratory channel. Moreover, temperature, humidity, and CO2 sensors guarantee optimal indoor air quality, as the ventilation unit control adapts indoor levels to tenants’ needs, in real time, saving energy and avoiding indoor discomfort.

Design parameters: Energy

• The design process focuses on the evaluation of different scenarios, combining different technical solutions and evaluating them according to the AH Radar and financial sustainability. As the social housing budget does not fit to the high costs (and low reproducibility) of a heat pump and solar collectors, designers decide for an efficient gas condensation boiler, connected to the existing network. Besides, the new insulating layer of the envelope and the floor heating system helps to provide indoor thermal comfort, while reducing the total energy consumption.

Design parameters: Environment

• According to the environmental sustainability required by AH standards, a 50,00l tank for collecting and recycling rainwater satisfies the flushing toilets, washing machine, and conservation of green spaces needs. Finally, the design concept upgrades to the neighborhood overall refurbishment. It will mean the establishment of a community energy system that could cover the energy needs, through renewable sources energy network (wind turbine, solar and PV panels…).

RADAR