Facade modernisation for retrofitting existing buildings to achieve nearly zero energy buildings

The introduction of the Directive 2010/31/EU has stimulated innovative advances in the domain of nearly-zero energy building retrofits and several performance-based solutions relating to the retrofit of building facades. Facade is a critical area of intervention in deep building retrofits. Facade designers, engineers and/or architects must emphasise on and render customised retrofit solutions for varied building types and focus on more than just achieving low-energy consumption buildings. Facades are the prime face of interaction and have deep visual and functional impact on the built environment. It is essential to investigate and review the current trends and focus parameters of facade retrofits by examining the state-of-art research on retrofits. The goal of this study is to establish a brief repository for the building professionals, to inform the current state-of-art and modernisation trends. Thus, it aims at developing fundamental aspects of facade retrofit practices towards achieving better quality nearly zero-energy buildings.