Off-Site Industrialized Systems for Building Renovation: Implementing Plug-and-Play Facades in the Construction Process

Despite the European Commission’s push for a faster energy transition, building renovation progress remains below target. This sparked interest in Off-site Construction (OSC), bolstered by EU-funded projects focusing on integrated industrialised solutions. More than a matter of technological issues, the limited use of OSC solutions stems from challenges faced by designers and technology providers, such as cost, technical knowledge and the increasing embodied carbon awareness, necessitating an Integrated Design approach over the conventional linear construction value chain. This study analyses the building renovation process using a Plug-and-Play (PnP) facade developed in an H2020 research project. The objective of the research is twofold: the first is to enhance the knowledge of PnP technologies construction process through practical field applications; the second is to provide practical insights from two pilot projects, encompassing pre-design, design, manufacturing, and on-site installation phases. The results identify experience-based challenges and barriers to building renovation with a PnP façade. By incorporating contributions from all stakeholders involved in the construction process through a qualitative approach, the study captures a holistic view of the value chain. It emphasises the evolving dynamics among stakeholders and underscores the need for strong collaboration to ensure the successful application of the technology. This work contributes to the existing research by detailing the application of an Off-site industrialised system. It sheds light on the practical challenges and constraints of implementing PnP technologies for building renovation, identifying potential areas of improvement throughout the construction process.