To reach the ambitious target of decarbonization by 2050, a deep transformation of the construction sector and a systematic renovation of the existing building stock, is required. To be effective, such a renovation requires the adoption of a Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) approach and the implementing of new digital tools to maximize the performances, while enabling the reduction of impacts and costs along the whole building life cycle. The paper proposes a retrofitting intervention which accounts for all these aspects and it is conceived to be applied from the outside, without relocating the inhabitants, which is one of the major barriers to the renovation.

From a structural point of view the retrofit solution is composed by a wooden shell made of CLT prefabricated panels connected to the building and the foundations by means of dry, standardized and easy demountable connections, enabling lumping damage in case of earthquakes. An optimized thermal layer on the envelope was designed for the energy efficiency, and around the structural shell, a new plants distribution system has also been set up to ensure inspectability and the possibility of implementation over time without interrupting the building functions. Tailor-made finishes and a special “implementable” home automation system enabling flexibility of the building use were introduced for the architectural and functional restyling. Finally, additional sensors are added to the building for the continuous monitoring of structural health, energy consumption and comfort relevant metrics.