Refurbishment criteria performance assessment methodologies based on a multiple-criteria approach

Half of Taiwan's old buildings, including those located in the historical center, are in advanced stages of degradation and lack regular maintenance. However, the old and dilapidated buildings that are still in good condition can be improved by being aware about their sustainability with the considerable growth of the refurbishment market. This study aims to propose a systematic method, i.e., residential building refurbishment criteria system (RBRCS), to evaluate the refurbishment performance based on multiple criteria, which can be applied to the buildings located in urban areas. This method can be used as decision support for various sustainable renovation projects and the evaluation of building renovations. RBRCS has been developed based on six case studies conducted with respect to the renovation projects in Taipei City, Taiwan, and the fuzzy Delphi method, analytic hierarchy process, and fuzzy logic theory have been tested and validated with respect to these cases. The analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy logic control are used to record the customer preferences and perceptions. Further, we demonstrated the benefit of our proposed methodology when compared with the existing sequential model-based optimization methods. This system comprises a methodology in a management system structured to encompass constraints, technical recommendations, and sustainable practices that are applicable to refurbish an old building. This study concludes that the analytic hierarchy process combined with the fuzzy logic theory is an efficient, low-cost, and robust method to select the superior green refurbishment option with respect to the minimum time and cost.