Andrea Luciani | Luleå University of Technology (original) (raw)

Journal Articles by Andrea Luciani

Urban Planning, 2020

This article—framed as a methodological contribution and at the intersection between the critical... more This article—framed as a methodological contribution and at the intersection between the critical urban, urban political ecology and world-ecology disciplines—builds on Corboz’s metaphor of ‘territory as a palimpsest’ to explore the representation of the socio-economic and ecological processes underpinning uneven development under extractive capitalist urbanization. While the palimpsest approach has typically been used to map transformations of more traditional urban morphologies, this work focuses instead on remote extraction territories appropriated by the global economy and integral to planetary urbanization. The article suggests the central notion of ‘palimpsests of appropriation’ as a lens to map the extraction processes. It does so in its multi-scalar and temporal dimensions and on the basis of the three intertwined frames—i.e., the productive, distribution and mediation palimpsest—shortly exemplifying its use on the ground for the iron ore extraction territory in the Swedish-Norwegian Arctic. With this, the article contributes to the development of an expanded representational methodology and conception of territories of extraction—where social and natural production are brought together—illustrating how appropriation has been (re)shaping each of the frames throughout historical thresholds, but also how socio-natures are being (re)made in its image.

AMPS Proceedings Series, 2019

The paper investigates controversial impacts industry has on uses of built heritage in the northe... more The paper investigates controversial impacts industry has on uses of built heritage in the northernmost part of Sweden, focusing on conceptualisation of Norrbotten’s Technological Megasystem (NTM). NTM was designated as a national industrial heritage site in 2001. Its core sites are the iron ore mines in Kiruna and Malmberget, the railway connecting the mining towns to the harbours in Narvik (Norway) and Luleå, the hydropower plant in Porjus, along the Lule River, and the fortress in Boden, established to protect those resources.
Urban transformations of Kiruna and Malmberget, with the necessity of historic buildings to be demolished or relocated to continue mining, exemplify a first paradox. The economic paradigm that since the 19th century created a built environment, with recognised heritage values, is now destroying that same environment. In the mining towns, decisions about preservation of built heritage, which are supposed to be long-term oriented, depend on volatile fluctuation of iron ore price in the global market.
The technological evolution of NTM is also challenging the connection between built heritage and local communities, which exemplify a second paradox. NTM, once labour intensive, requires fewer and fewer workers, but is nevertheless more productive than ever. As a result, settlements and communities like Porjus, Kiruna and Malmberget are gradually becoming almost redundant or “expendable” for the industry.
This opens the question about present and future uses of this built heritage. In some cases, it is at risk of being exploited as a private strategic asset (company areas of Malmberget and Kiruna), in other cases it is affected by processes of underuse and musealisation (Porjus and Boden’s fortress) or overuse and gentrification (Svartöstaden neighborhood in Luleå).
The paper presents paradoxical case studies of heritage management, but it also critically investigates contrasting perceptions and representations related to the narrative framed by the NTM heritage discourse.

Sustainable Cities and Society, 2019

The energy performance of heritage buildings is attracting growing interest in research and pract... more The energy performance of heritage buildings is attracting growing interest in research and practice. Accordingly, as shown by our literature review, increasing numbers of articles on energy-efficiency measures for heritage buildings are being published in peer-reviewed journals. However, there is no overview of how energy efficiency and heritage conservation have been approached in the studies. To address this gap we categorized and assessed the identified studies in terms of two key elements of such investigations: energy analysis and analysis of cultural heritage values. Most of the studies evaluate and propose measures to reduce the operational energy use of single heritage buildings, and fewer have applied a broader system perspective. Moreover, the underlying notion of the buildings' cultural heritage values seems to have been derived mainly from international conventions and agreements, while potentially significant architectural, cultural and historical factors have been rarely discussed. Our findings highlight that, when considering energy improvements, cultural heritage values should be more explicitly articulated and analysed in relation to established conservation principles or methodologies. Besides further scientific study, this point to the need of designing best-practice approaches that allow transparency and knowledge sharing about the complex relationships between energy efficiency and heritage conservation of buildings.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the cross-fertilisation process between the conc... more Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the cross-fertilisation process between the concept of resilience and building conservation. The authors discuss how the conservation field can address new issues posed by climate change and whether the concept of resilience plays a role within the framework of sustainable building conservation.

Design/methodology/approach
Starting from the use of resilience as a “travelling concept”, different interpretations of the term emerging from different fields are compared and interrelated in order to understand how this concept can impact future research in building conservation.

Findings
In addition to summarising recent developments in conservation theory with a special focus on how sustainability has influenced the field, this work also suggests some lines of research where resilience could foster interdisciplinary approaches to building conservation and presents some controversial outcomes.

Originality/value
The paper raises a discussion on how the concept of resilience could renew the field of building conservation, helping contemporary society to address the challenges of climate change.

Authors present an ongoing research to balance conservation, users’ comfort and energy efficiency... more Authors present an ongoing research to balance conservation, users’ comfort and energy efficiency of an important masterpiece of post-war architecture. The Collegi of the University of Urbino consist of 5 dormitories hosting more than 1,000 students within a 62,000 m2 surface. Architect Giancarlo De Carlo designed this complex beside the Renaissance city center, from 1962 to 1983.
This paper presents some outcomes form the “Keeping it modern” research program financed by the Getty Foundation which aims at providing the Collegi with a sustainable conservation plan. The goal is to lower heating and operational costs in order to allow more funds in conservation activities. Specific issues regard:
- the striking dimensions of the complex
- the constructive features (brickwork walls, exposed concrete structures, single-glazed windows)
- the lack of data about the hygrothermal performances.
These problems are quite common in XX century built heritage, where energy performances can be even poorer than those of pre-industrial buildings are. The research includes:
- a hygrothermal analysis of a representative selection of rooms;
- a proposal for the energy retrofitting, through a building-HVAC model;
- a test on a pilot site.
Authors have monitored surface temperatures, indoor air temperature and humidity for one year. Temperature and humidity distribution was mapped through a digital psychrometer. Thermal imaging has been used to detect heat losses, thermal bridges and heat gains due to the solar radiation. Data have fed a building-HVAC model, which was a reference to design an appropriate strategy for retrofitting and improving the energy efficiency of the complex. Some solutions are cur-rently being implemented on a pilot site. The building performances before and after retrofitting are compared.
On a methodological side, this research confirms that a solid knowledge about each case is required to support a retro-fit proposal, even when regarding a XX century building. The results provide indications to merge conservation and sustain-ability of XX century buildings, given that the cultural value of such a huge heritage is often disregarded in energy retrofit interventions.

This paper reports the results of three innovative laboratory tests implemented during winter 201... more This paper reports the results of three innovative laboratory tests implemented during winter 2013 in the framework of the Climate for Culture European Project (2009–2014). Thermal analysis was used to assess the heating efficiency of some heaters with different power consumption, geometric shape and dimensions.

Experimental laboratory results were obtained under natural indoor environmental conditions and the outcomes were applied to a real case study of two churches on the Italian Alps during the Friendly Heating project.

Results provide useful information to help final users and/or conservators to exploit at the best the heating efficiency of some heaters on the basis of the geometric characteristics of the elements and represent helpful advices for their installation, considering both the optimal position for the maximum comfort performance and the need for not exceeding specific risk thresholds for artwork preservation.

e-Preservation Science, 10, 77-82, 2013

Papers by Andrea Luciani

Eficiencia Energética y Edificación Histórica, 2014

in Die Temperierung. Beiträge zum aktuellen Forschungsstand, pp. 82-92, 2014

Adapt Northern Heritage Conference, Virtual, May 5-6, 2020, 2020

In the arctic and subarctic region, climate change may require in the future the relocation of en... more In the arctic and subarctic region, climate change may require in the future the relocation of entire communities, with dramatic impacts on their built heritage. In northernmost Sweden, the two arctic mining towns of Kiruna and Malmberget are already experiencing similar disruption due to subsidence caused by mining. This paper investigates the actions implemented to mitigate the impacts of the ongoing urban transformations. Historic buildings and entire districts are demolished, documented or relocated, sometimes with the ambition to recreate historic environments. These controversial processes exemplify the scale and the level of the challenges and dilemmas that climate change will soon pose to historic environments. Can relocation preserve the complexity of an historic urban environment? How are decisions on what to save made? How do the loss and the relocation of heritage affect the local communities? Discussing and understanding it is crucial to make northern historic sites and communities more resilient

Docomomo International. Casa da Arquitectura, 2016

The paper is based on experience developed in several years of teaching conservation of modern he... more The paper is based on experience developed in several years of teaching conservation of modern heritage in schools of architecture, international Erasmus workshops and doco- momo workshops to students coming from all over the world, with different cultural and educational backgrounds. Modern architectural heritage masterpieces have a high potential for pedagogic purposes, especially in helping students to develop a critical thinking on (modern) heritage preservation. During these courses students are guided through an in-depth analysis of a speci c building, or buildings, in order to de ne intervention strategies and to develop a preservation project. The analysis of the buildings – ranging from historical understanding of the radical ideas of modern architects to eld survey, archival and bibliographical research, and analysis of uses, problems, materials and decay – is the starting point of a continuous challenge to common- place, standard solutions, to established beliefs about the modern heritage and about the contemporary role of the architect. All this is made possible through the application of a teaching method within which the theory of conservation and practice of design proceed at the same pace, in a spiral process of mutual awareness. This method is the most appropriate to engage students with preser- vation and reuse of modern architecture, meant as essential tools for their future profes- sional background, rather than as separate elds of action. The project is a mean to pinpoint the subtle contradictions of the discipline and an occasion to develop the required critical knowledge to translate theoretical positions in a sound approach to the transformation/ evolution of built heritage.

Springer Proceedings in Energy, 2018

Skokloster Castle is a historic masonry building without any active climate control and hosting a... more Skokloster Castle is a historic masonry building without any active climate control and hosting an important and heterogeneous collection of artefacts. Despite being cited as a good passive preservation environment, conservators are observing decay in the collections related to the indoor climate that may call for a re-evaluation of the climate control strategy. Air exchange is generally considered one of the driving forces influencing the indoor climate in unheated historic buildings. This study was developed to better understand and evaluate its influence on the indoor climate stability of the castle. The present study has outlined an experimental procedure for the assessment of the influence of air exchange that can be used in historic buildings in general. Air exchange rate was measured in seven rooms using tracer gas passive sampling. The results were related to an analysis of the variability of indoor temperature (T), relative humidity (RH) and mixing ratio (MR). A connection ...

This paper presents a research to balance building conservation, users’ comfort and energy effici... more This paper presents a research to balance building conservation, users’ comfort and energy efficiency of a masterpiece of XX century architecture. The Urbino University Colleges were designed by architect Giancarlo de Carlo and built since 1962 to 1983 beside the Renaissance city. They host more than 1,000 students within 5 dormitories and 62,000 m 2 surface. Authors discuss some outcomes from the “Keeping it modern” research program financed by the Getty Foundation in 2016, which aims at providing the Colleges with a sustainable conservation plan. The goal is to lower heating and operational costs to allow funds in conservation activities. Specific issues regard: the striking dimensions of the complex, the constructive features (brickwork walls, exposed concrete structures, single-glazed windows) and the lack of data about the hygrothermal performances. The research thus includes a hygrothermal analysis, a proposal for the energy retrofitting, a building-HVAC model, a test on a pil...

Urban Planning, 2020

This article—framed as a methodological contribution and at the intersection between the critical... more This article—framed as a methodological contribution and at the intersection between the critical urban, urban political ecology and world-ecology disciplines—builds on Corboz’s metaphor of ‘territory as a palimpsest’ to explore the representation of the socio-economic and ecological processes underpinning uneven development under extractive capitalist urbanization. While the palimpsest approach has typically been used to map transformations of more traditional urban morphologies, this work focuses instead on remote extraction territories appropriated by the global economy and integral to planetary urbanization. The article suggests the central notion of ‘palimpsests of appropriation’ as a lens to map the extraction processes. It does so in its multi-scalar and temporal dimensions and on the basis of the three intertwined frames—i.e., the productive, distribution and mediation palimpsest—shortly exemplifying its use on the ground for the iron ore extraction territory in the Swedish-Norwegian Arctic. With this, the article contributes to the development of an expanded representational methodology and conception of territories of extraction—where social and natural production are brought together—illustrating how appropriation has been (re)shaping each of the frames throughout historical thresholds, but also how socio-natures are being (re)made in its image.

AMPS Proceedings Series, 2019

The paper investigates controversial impacts industry has on uses of built heritage in the northe... more The paper investigates controversial impacts industry has on uses of built heritage in the northernmost part of Sweden, focusing on conceptualisation of Norrbotten’s Technological Megasystem (NTM). NTM was designated as a national industrial heritage site in 2001. Its core sites are the iron ore mines in Kiruna and Malmberget, the railway connecting the mining towns to the harbours in Narvik (Norway) and Luleå, the hydropower plant in Porjus, along the Lule River, and the fortress in Boden, established to protect those resources.
Urban transformations of Kiruna and Malmberget, with the necessity of historic buildings to be demolished or relocated to continue mining, exemplify a first paradox. The economic paradigm that since the 19th century created a built environment, with recognised heritage values, is now destroying that same environment. In the mining towns, decisions about preservation of built heritage, which are supposed to be long-term oriented, depend on volatile fluctuation of iron ore price in the global market.
The technological evolution of NTM is also challenging the connection between built heritage and local communities, which exemplify a second paradox. NTM, once labour intensive, requires fewer and fewer workers, but is nevertheless more productive than ever. As a result, settlements and communities like Porjus, Kiruna and Malmberget are gradually becoming almost redundant or “expendable” for the industry.
This opens the question about present and future uses of this built heritage. In some cases, it is at risk of being exploited as a private strategic asset (company areas of Malmberget and Kiruna), in other cases it is affected by processes of underuse and musealisation (Porjus and Boden’s fortress) or overuse and gentrification (Svartöstaden neighborhood in Luleå).
The paper presents paradoxical case studies of heritage management, but it also critically investigates contrasting perceptions and representations related to the narrative framed by the NTM heritage discourse.

Sustainable Cities and Society, 2019

The energy performance of heritage buildings is attracting growing interest in research and pract... more The energy performance of heritage buildings is attracting growing interest in research and practice. Accordingly, as shown by our literature review, increasing numbers of articles on energy-efficiency measures for heritage buildings are being published in peer-reviewed journals. However, there is no overview of how energy efficiency and heritage conservation have been approached in the studies. To address this gap we categorized and assessed the identified studies in terms of two key elements of such investigations: energy analysis and analysis of cultural heritage values. Most of the studies evaluate and propose measures to reduce the operational energy use of single heritage buildings, and fewer have applied a broader system perspective. Moreover, the underlying notion of the buildings' cultural heritage values seems to have been derived mainly from international conventions and agreements, while potentially significant architectural, cultural and historical factors have been rarely discussed. Our findings highlight that, when considering energy improvements, cultural heritage values should be more explicitly articulated and analysed in relation to established conservation principles or methodologies. Besides further scientific study, this point to the need of designing best-practice approaches that allow transparency and knowledge sharing about the complex relationships between energy efficiency and heritage conservation of buildings.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the cross-fertilisation process between the conc... more Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the cross-fertilisation process between the concept of resilience and building conservation. The authors discuss how the conservation field can address new issues posed by climate change and whether the concept of resilience plays a role within the framework of sustainable building conservation.

Design/methodology/approach
Starting from the use of resilience as a “travelling concept”, different interpretations of the term emerging from different fields are compared and interrelated in order to understand how this concept can impact future research in building conservation.

Findings
In addition to summarising recent developments in conservation theory with a special focus on how sustainability has influenced the field, this work also suggests some lines of research where resilience could foster interdisciplinary approaches to building conservation and presents some controversial outcomes.

Originality/value
The paper raises a discussion on how the concept of resilience could renew the field of building conservation, helping contemporary society to address the challenges of climate change.

Authors present an ongoing research to balance conservation, users’ comfort and energy efficiency... more Authors present an ongoing research to balance conservation, users’ comfort and energy efficiency of an important masterpiece of post-war architecture. The Collegi of the University of Urbino consist of 5 dormitories hosting more than 1,000 students within a 62,000 m2 surface. Architect Giancarlo De Carlo designed this complex beside the Renaissance city center, from 1962 to 1983.
This paper presents some outcomes form the “Keeping it modern” research program financed by the Getty Foundation which aims at providing the Collegi with a sustainable conservation plan. The goal is to lower heating and operational costs in order to allow more funds in conservation activities. Specific issues regard:
- the striking dimensions of the complex
- the constructive features (brickwork walls, exposed concrete structures, single-glazed windows)
- the lack of data about the hygrothermal performances.
These problems are quite common in XX century built heritage, where energy performances can be even poorer than those of pre-industrial buildings are. The research includes:
- a hygrothermal analysis of a representative selection of rooms;
- a proposal for the energy retrofitting, through a building-HVAC model;
- a test on a pilot site.
Authors have monitored surface temperatures, indoor air temperature and humidity for one year. Temperature and humidity distribution was mapped through a digital psychrometer. Thermal imaging has been used to detect heat losses, thermal bridges and heat gains due to the solar radiation. Data have fed a building-HVAC model, which was a reference to design an appropriate strategy for retrofitting and improving the energy efficiency of the complex. Some solutions are cur-rently being implemented on a pilot site. The building performances before and after retrofitting are compared.
On a methodological side, this research confirms that a solid knowledge about each case is required to support a retro-fit proposal, even when regarding a XX century building. The results provide indications to merge conservation and sustain-ability of XX century buildings, given that the cultural value of such a huge heritage is often disregarded in energy retrofit interventions.

This paper reports the results of three innovative laboratory tests implemented during winter 201... more This paper reports the results of three innovative laboratory tests implemented during winter 2013 in the framework of the Climate for Culture European Project (2009–2014). Thermal analysis was used to assess the heating efficiency of some heaters with different power consumption, geometric shape and dimensions.

Experimental laboratory results were obtained under natural indoor environmental conditions and the outcomes were applied to a real case study of two churches on the Italian Alps during the Friendly Heating project.

Results provide useful information to help final users and/or conservators to exploit at the best the heating efficiency of some heaters on the basis of the geometric characteristics of the elements and represent helpful advices for their installation, considering both the optimal position for the maximum comfort performance and the need for not exceeding specific risk thresholds for artwork preservation.

e-Preservation Science, 10, 77-82, 2013

Eficiencia Energética y Edificación Histórica, 2014

in Die Temperierung. Beiträge zum aktuellen Forschungsstand, pp. 82-92, 2014

Adapt Northern Heritage Conference, Virtual, May 5-6, 2020, 2020

In the arctic and subarctic region, climate change may require in the future the relocation of en... more In the arctic and subarctic region, climate change may require in the future the relocation of entire communities, with dramatic impacts on their built heritage. In northernmost Sweden, the two arctic mining towns of Kiruna and Malmberget are already experiencing similar disruption due to subsidence caused by mining. This paper investigates the actions implemented to mitigate the impacts of the ongoing urban transformations. Historic buildings and entire districts are demolished, documented or relocated, sometimes with the ambition to recreate historic environments. These controversial processes exemplify the scale and the level of the challenges and dilemmas that climate change will soon pose to historic environments. Can relocation preserve the complexity of an historic urban environment? How are decisions on what to save made? How do the loss and the relocation of heritage affect the local communities? Discussing and understanding it is crucial to make northern historic sites and communities more resilient

Docomomo International. Casa da Arquitectura, 2016

The paper is based on experience developed in several years of teaching conservation of modern he... more The paper is based on experience developed in several years of teaching conservation of modern heritage in schools of architecture, international Erasmus workshops and doco- momo workshops to students coming from all over the world, with different cultural and educational backgrounds. Modern architectural heritage masterpieces have a high potential for pedagogic purposes, especially in helping students to develop a critical thinking on (modern) heritage preservation. During these courses students are guided through an in-depth analysis of a speci c building, or buildings, in order to de ne intervention strategies and to develop a preservation project. The analysis of the buildings – ranging from historical understanding of the radical ideas of modern architects to eld survey, archival and bibliographical research, and analysis of uses, problems, materials and decay – is the starting point of a continuous challenge to common- place, standard solutions, to established beliefs about the modern heritage and about the contemporary role of the architect. All this is made possible through the application of a teaching method within which the theory of conservation and practice of design proceed at the same pace, in a spiral process of mutual awareness. This method is the most appropriate to engage students with preser- vation and reuse of modern architecture, meant as essential tools for their future profes- sional background, rather than as separate elds of action. The project is a mean to pinpoint the subtle contradictions of the discipline and an occasion to develop the required critical knowledge to translate theoretical positions in a sound approach to the transformation/ evolution of built heritage.

Springer Proceedings in Energy, 2018

Skokloster Castle is a historic masonry building without any active climate control and hosting a... more Skokloster Castle is a historic masonry building without any active climate control and hosting an important and heterogeneous collection of artefacts. Despite being cited as a good passive preservation environment, conservators are observing decay in the collections related to the indoor climate that may call for a re-evaluation of the climate control strategy. Air exchange is generally considered one of the driving forces influencing the indoor climate in unheated historic buildings. This study was developed to better understand and evaluate its influence on the indoor climate stability of the castle. The present study has outlined an experimental procedure for the assessment of the influence of air exchange that can be used in historic buildings in general. Air exchange rate was measured in seven rooms using tracer gas passive sampling. The results were related to an analysis of the variability of indoor temperature (T), relative humidity (RH) and mixing ratio (MR). A connection ...

This paper presents a research to balance building conservation, users’ comfort and energy effici... more This paper presents a research to balance building conservation, users’ comfort and energy efficiency of a masterpiece of XX century architecture. The Urbino University Colleges were designed by architect Giancarlo de Carlo and built since 1962 to 1983 beside the Renaissance city. They host more than 1,000 students within 5 dormitories and 62,000 m 2 surface. Authors discuss some outcomes from the “Keeping it modern” research program financed by the Getty Foundation in 2016, which aims at providing the Colleges with a sustainable conservation plan. The goal is to lower heating and operational costs to allow funds in conservation activities. Specific issues regard: the striking dimensions of the complex, the constructive features (brickwork walls, exposed concrete structures, single-glazed windows) and the lack of data about the hygrothermal performances. The research thus includes a hygrothermal analysis, a proposal for the energy retrofitting, a building-HVAC model, a test on a pil...

Improving the energy efficiency of built heritage in cold regions: Issues and opportunities

This paper follows the discussion on the energy efficiency of heritage buildings by dealing with ... more This paper follows the discussion on the energy efficiency of heritage buildings by dealing with the task of preserving 20th century buildings and making them more sustainable. It is confirmed that ...

Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, 2018

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the cross-fertilisation process between the conc... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the cross-fertilisation process between the concept of resilience and building conservation. The authors discuss how the conservation field can address new issues posed by climate change and whether the concept of resilience plays a role within the framework of sustainable building conservation. Design/methodology/approach Starting from the use of resilience as a “travelling concept”, different interpretations of the term emerging from different fields are compared and interrelated in order to understand how this concept can impact future research in building conservation. Findings In addition to summarising recent developments in conservation theory with a special focus on how sustainability has influenced the field, this work also suggests some lines of research where resilience could foster interdisciplinary approaches to building conservation and presents some controversial outcomes. Originality/value The paper raises a discussion...

Urban Planning, 2020

This article—framed as a methodological contribution and at the intersection between the critical... more This article—framed as a methodological contribution and at the intersection between the critical urban, urban political ecology and world-ecology disciplines—builds on Corboz’s metaphor of ‘territory as a palimpsest’ to explore the representation of the socio-economic and ecological processes underpinning uneven development under extractive capitalist urbanization. While the palimpsest approach has typically been used to map transformations of more traditional urban morphologies, this work focuses instead on remote extraction territories appropriated by the global economy and integral to planetary urbanization. The article suggests the central notion of ‘palimpsests of appropriation’ as a lens to map the extraction processes. It does so in its multi-scalar and temporal dimensions and on the basis of the three intertwined frames—i.e., the productive, distribution and mediation palimpsest—shortly exemplifying its use on the ground for the iron ore extraction territory in the Swedish-...

Sustainable Cities and Society

The energy performance of heritage buildings is attracting growing interest in research and pract... more The energy performance of heritage buildings is attracting growing interest in research and practice. Accordingly, as shown by our literature review, increasing numbers of articles on energy-efficiency measures for heritage buildings are being published in peer-reviewed journals. However, there is no overview of how energy efficiency and heritage conservation have been approached in the studies. To address this gap we categorized and assessed the identified studies in terms of two key elements of such investigations: energy analysis and analysis of cultural heritage values. Most of the studies evaluate and propose measures to reduce the operational energy use of single heritage buildings, and fewer have applied a broader system perspective. Moreover, the underlying notion of the buildings’ cultural heritage values seems to have been derived mainly from international conventions and agreements, while potentially significant architectural, cultural and historical factors have been rarely discussed. Our findings highlight that, when considering energy improvements, cultural heritage values should be more explicitly articulated and analysed in relation to established conservation principles or methodologies. Besides further scientific study, this point to the need of designing best-practice approaches that allow transparency and knowledge sharing about the complex relationships between energy efficiency and heritage conservation of buildings.