Influence on energy performance in historical buildings caused by the urban environment and project modifications: The case of the duclós house

Abstract

Historic buildings are a fundamental part of the tangible cultural heritage of today’s society. However, the energy saving requirements to limit climate change may present limitations with respect to the characteristics of these buildings. In the case of historical buildings from the early 20th century to the present, the bioclimatic design principles applied by architects may have been limited. In some cases, it may be due to project modifications or urban expansion. In this study, these two aspects are analyzed in a case of a historic building located in Seville: The Duclós House by José Luis Sert. This building presents modifications in the roof between the projected and the built one. Likewise, the urban environment is different from the one existing when it was built. The analysis was carried out with energy simulations using weather data from 2000 to 2019. The results show the influence that the modifications of the projected roof and the urban expansion had on the energy performance of the building with respect to the original idea of the building. © 2020, Universidad del Bío Bío. All rights reserved.