PLURAL

PLURAL aims to design validate and demonstrate a palette of versatile, adaptable, scalable, off-site prefabricated plug and play facades accounting for user needs (“Plug-and-Use” kits). Three different core systems are assessed, coupling heating-cooling, ventilation, heat harvesting systems with smart windows, 3D printing, low carbon footprint and nano-enabled coating materials to reduce the building total primary energy consumption to less than 60 kWh/m2 per year and ensure on-site renewable energy generation to more than 50 kWh/m2 reaching NZEB status for different European climates and different residential building typologies.
A BIM based big data management platform and a Decision Support Tool (DST) are coupled to enable the optimal component selection, and integration, best PnU kit design, speedy and low-cost manufacturing and installation. Renewable energy and smart control systems are coupled with low environmental footprint prefabricated façade components to create the integrated all-in-one PnU kits for post war residential building deep renovation. The project creates best practice renovation examples for the residential sector based on innovation and competitiveness, with benefits for the citizens and the environment. It develops business cases and models for key stakeholders and improves the life cycle based performance standards applied in the building sector.
The solutions are implemented in three real and three virtual residential buildings to evaluate reduction in renovation time and costs, the PnU kit performance, carbon saving and users’ acceptance. The selected buildings cover all European climatic zones and are representative residential typologies. PLURAL will achieve at least 50% reduction in the time required for deep renovation of e.g. multi-family blocks. 58% reduction in renovation costs will be achieved through off-site prefabrication lean manufacturing and construction, interactively supported by the BIM based platform and DST.