Methodology for LCA Assessment of Heritage Buildings and their retrofitting works

In the current context of necessary reduction of environmental impact, retrofitting historical buildings is essential, but it must be specified the total carbon footprint, considering the original construction and the current restoration. This research has a double objective: firstly, to develop a methodology to establish the carbon footprint of three historic Catalan Modernist buildings at the time of their construction; and secondly, to determine the carbon footprint of the restoration works of one of them. An exhaustive analysis is carried on about the materials used, their extraction, transportation and manufacturing methods at the time. Following the methodological structure of contemporary EPDs and LCA, both aligned with the UNE-EN 15804 standard. This ensures methodological consistency between historical and modern datasets and provides a robust basis for comparison. Then, the embodied carbon of these buildings is compared with that of modern buildings construction, in order to establish which is higher. Finally, the carbon footprint of retrofitting one of them is also calculated. The importance of this research lies in the methodology for the quantification of the total environmental impact of historic buildings, from their original construction to their restoration. The limitation of the study lies in the fact that only one of the three case studies has been retrofitted so far.