The Horizon Europe Herit4Ages project is developing user-centric and data-driven retrofitting solutions for a resilient, energy efficient, and inclusive cultural heritage. The project is coordinated by the University College of Cork, and has 12 partners in 8 countries. The Institute of Baltic Studies (IBS) is representing Estonia.
Heritage buildings represent an important part of our cultural identity. Consequently, it is time to include them in the adaptation to a new energy model. For decades, heritage buildings have been an example of resilience, being the core of our cities, towns and villages. However, a building that has no use or purpose is abandoned and lost. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure their conservation and maintenance by making them accessible, affordable and easy to maintain. Additionally, it is crucial to make them habitable. Achieving these goals is only possible by considering usability as the main target.
Herit4Ages will demonstrate that it is possible to improve the overall performance of historic buildings while preserving their architectural and cultural identity. The spectrum of historic buildings is very broad and subject to various protection laws with different levels of intervention. Therefore, the project aims to develop a set of solutions that can be replicated across different parts of Europe. To this end, living labs in five pilot sites, where innovative renovation solutions will be applied in practice, using co-creation methods for planning and decision-making. Tartu will host one of these living labs, with IBS running the pilot there. IBS will also steer the co-creation processes for all living labs. Additionally, IBS is leading the assessment of social inclusion. The organization participates in creating business models based on the project’s lessons learned and supports the wider dissemination of innovative solutions.
