The refurbishment of a residential and office building dating from 1982 in Ravne na Koroškem, in Slovenia, is presented as an example of industrialised deep renovation aimed at improving the energy performance of an existing multi-family building.
The building in Ravne na Koroškem, constructed in 1982, is a multi-family residential property comprising 71 dwellings and ground-floor offices, forming part of a linear building complex. Before refurbishment, it featured a building envelope with poor thermal performance and was connected to a district heating network. The intervention was conceived as an industrialised deep renovation project combining energy efficiency improvements with a densification strategy through the construction of an additional storey above the existing roof.
The refurbishment included enhanced thermal insulation across all façades and the roof. One façade was renovated using a prefabricated INFINITE solution, while the remaining façades incorporated an ETICS system partially complemented by passive elements from the same system. The new storey was built using prefabricated timber-based components and integrated electrochromic windows, mechanical ventilation, heating and cooling systems, and façade-integrated photovoltaic modules. On the south façade, 317.67 m² of BIPV modules were installed within prefabricated panels, complemented by a conventional rooftop photovoltaic installation. Thermal energy generation was shifted primarily to air-to-water heat pumps, while retaining the district heating network as a backup during periods of low outdoor temperatures.
The available energy performance results show a reduction in annual heating energy consumption from 150 MWh/year to 50 MWh/year. The intervention also incorporated 6 m² of living wall on the new storey, providing benefits associated with the microclimate and the quality of the surrounding environment. Beyond energy performance, the project addressed the building’s social dimension, as it had historically been associated with vulnerable groups and temporary housing. According to post-renovation surveys, resident satisfaction increased significantly. Indoor environmental quality assessments indicate a substantial improvement in thermal comfort, with fully satisfactory ratings increasing from 29.2% to 76.7%, while dissatisfaction related to indoor air quality fell from 34.6% to 0%.
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