3FOOD

Third Industrial Revolution Consulting Group
3 Introduce integral and sustainable concepts in the construction sector
3.1 Technical: Develop and implement a national BIM strategy
3.2 Regulation: Develop a TIR building certificate
3.3 RDI: Introduce circularity with the development of a “material bank for buildings”
4 Build up “Intencity” lighthouse projects
4.1 Technical: Demonstrate smart, green, and circular zero-energy districts
4.2 RDI: Strengthen the research sector for transitioning buildings and districts
4.3 RDI: Develop the University of Luxembourg as a TIR living lab
5 Create a Resilience Commissioner in charge of economic, societal and environmental
resilience
1 Stimulate innovative and deep refurbishment of residential buildings
Under the recent building codes, newly constructed buildings in Luxembourg will be nearly-zero
energy buildings from 2017 on and be in accord with the TIR requirements in regard to energy
efficiency. However, additional actions are needed for existing buildings. Since the majority of
existing buildings are residential, they should be the first to be retrofitted. The scale of
refurbishment should increase significantly each year and should involve deep renovation to a
high efficiency standard, since cosmetic refurbishments are not sufficient.
1.1 Technical: Promote the use of standardized construction elements and methods
The increased use of standardized construction elements and methods will stimulate the
refurbishment of residential buildings because they reduce costs, refurbishment time, and
disturbance of occupants of the buildings, while improving the quality of work, enabling a fast
increase of the refurbishment rate.
Standardization, at the same time, supports the introduction of circularity by making it easier to
reuse and recycle construction elements. But standardized can also mean the integration of
different functions in one element, e.g. HVAC components like air ventilation ducts in the
insulation layer of the building.
This technical concept should be promoted by setting up a working group of all stakeholders
involved – architects, planners, construction companies, housing companies, governmental
representatives, etc. – to collaborate in the development of an action plan for standardized
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