The FuturHist project, co-funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe, develops replicable retrofit solutions for historic buildings to support a clean energy transition.
The FuturHist project focuses on developing replicable retrofit solutions for historic buildings to support a clean energy transition. One of its demonstration cases is the Edinburgh SVR Lodge, part of the Whitefoord House residential complex and managed by Scottish Veterans Residences in the UK.
Edinburgh SVR Lodge is an 18th-century, B-listed building used for residential and office purposes. Its historic lime-harl masonry walls exemplify typologies sensitive to thermal losses in cold, humid climates.
Under FuturHist, an insulated lime render with self-healing properties will be tested on the lodge. Before-and-after monitoring of thermal and environmental performance will provide data to validate and refine decision-making tools designed for retrofitting historic buildings.
The case contributes to the broader objective of placing energy performance monitoring at the centre of retrofit planning for historic building typologies, particularly in contexts with challenging climates such as Edinburgh’s. The City of Edinburgh Council aims to achieve the target of becoming a net-zero emissions city by 2030.
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