QH
Qüestions d’Habitatge
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23 The Barcelona Renovation Model
NOVEMBER 2019
Contents
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Qüestions d’Habitatge Presentation: Renovation, a tool for transformation 5
No. 23. November 2019 Lucía Martín González, Councillor for Housing and Renovation at  
Collection Barcelona City Council
Qüestions d’Habitatge
Towards a new culture of renovation in Barcelona 9
Coordination:
Communication Department at the Barcelona Josep Maria Montaner, architect and professor of theory and history 
Municipal Institute of Housing and Renovation of architecture (ETSAB-UPC)
Photographs:
Barcelona Municipal Institute of Housing and 
Renovation The transformational potential of renovation 21
Jordi París. Chair of the Chamber of Professional- 
Editing board: Service Enterprises in Construction
Lucía Martín, Josep Maria Montaner, Javier 
Burón, Àngels Mira, Vanesa Valiño, Carlos 
Macías, Anna Ganuza, Gemma Font, Jordi Palay Renovation: The challenges of construction enterprises 25
and Núria Ventura. Josep Gassiot i Matas. Chair of the Builders’ Guild 
Published by: of Barcelona and Counties
Barcelona City Council
Barcelona Municipal Institute of Housing and 
Renovation Conversation with Carme Borrell, Manager of the Barcelona 
Public Health Agency: “Physical housing conditions
All publishing rights reserved influence people's health” 31
Graphic design and layout: Núria Pedrals. Architect.
Gerard Medina
Editorial department:
Image and Editorial Services Department Annexe: examples of renovations
ISSN 2462-4160
Renovating the Canyelles neighbourhood 41
Renovating Lope de Vega, 111 47
Renovating the public housing stock 53
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Presentation

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Renovation, 
a tool for transformation
People’s health, quality of life and well-being who have to ensure their properties are properly are directly linked to good living conditions. maintained.This is what the scientific studies say and it is The following pages offer an in-depth analysis 
patently obvious in cities that look after residential not only of what renovation in Barcelona entails, 
buildings through renovations. In addition, but also its successes and the challenges that lie 
maintaining dwellings in good condition is a key ahead of us. This issue 23 of Qüestions d’Habitatge 
tool against inequalities and gentrification and in includes an article by the Councillor for Housing 
defence of the right to live in decent housing. and Renovation who preceded me, Josep Maria 
Having a housing stock in good repair in ››››››››››››››››››››››››››››› Montaner, which takes an in-depth look at the 
Barcelona is a major challenge. We have our own Lucía Martín city’s renovation model. We are lucky to have the 
city model, which we reformulated during our González legacy of his expertise.
previous term of office with the aim of putting Councillor for Housing The publication will continue with two 
not just people and their well-being, but also and Renovation at authoritative voices from the renovation guild: 
sustainability and energy efficiency at the centre Barcelona Jordi París and Josep Gassiot. Note should be taken 
of our model. Examples can be seen from the City Council of what they say as they represent a group that plays 
Authority’s lines of proactive aid for allocation to a key role in bringing about the renovation model 
the most vulnerable communities and making aid the city needs. Below, you will find a conversation 
to owners conditional on them renting out their with Carme Borrell, Manager of Barcelona’s Public 
properties at an affordable price. Health Agency, highlighting one of the reasons for 
In addition, our commitment to renovation has going ahead with renovations, namely to improve 
brought about the revitalisation of a specialist people’s health. 
and highly skilled professional sector. In other We completed this issue with a collection 
words, it has a positive impact on the economy of examples of the public and private housing 
and employment in the small and medium-size stock's renovation projects. Some are already a 
enterprises in the city and its neighbourhoods. reality and others are projects at the drafting stage 
We at the City Council are sparing no effort to that will soon enable numerous families to have a 
promote renovations, but this is not a task that comfortable and sustainable home in a good state 
can be carried out solely by the Administration of repair. 
and professionals from the sector. Also needed We hope you find this useful.
is the co-responsibility of the property owners, 
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The Barcelona 
renovation 
model
Sargfabrik, in Vienna, from the BKK-3 team, an example of renovation that takes account of sustainability and energy saving.
CHAPTER
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01 Towards a new culture of renovation in Barcelona
The future of cities lies in the renovation Renovation has its own history: as a of their neighbourhoods rather than new contemporary concept it arose from a proposal buildings. This change relates to the new from Patrick Geddes’ conservative surgery and from 
values of citizenship, with its raised awareness the pioneering initiatives of British philanthropists 
of ecological problems and championing of city such as Octavia Hill and Lady Aberdeen, and it 
sustainability. improved existing neighbourhoods around the 
While restoration of monuments was a human turn of the 20th century. It was consolidated during 
activity which first began in the 18th century, and the 1970s, under the Urban Plan for a typological, 
currently includes intervening in fragile modern ››››››››››››››››››››››››››››› infrastructural and chromatic restoration of the 
architecture, as championed by DOCOMOMO1, Josep Maria historical centre of Bologna, in Italy; the urban 
recognition of renovation has been notable over Montaner plan was started in 1969 to gradually redo the 
the last few decades, different in scale and values. Architect and medieval areas, one by one, based on a study of 
Renovation — in contrast to restoring unique professor of theory architectural types, introducing improvements in 
buildings — is focused on ordinary buildings, and history accessibility, bathrooms, kitchens and facilities, 
residential networks, whether or not historical, of architecture attempting to recover the traditional city’s 
whether or not social housing complexes, built (ETSAB-UPC) chromatic image, while following the goals of left-
under modern-movement principles; it is not wing urban thinking. 
about objects but rather about systems, where the These methodological antipodes show us what 
city is understood as an ecosystem, and it not only has been carried out in Chinese cities, such as 
involves what is built but also extends to the public Xi’an, Shanghai and Beijing, where monumental 
space and to the level of urban regeneration. enclaves have been embalmed and historical 
residential fabrics, hutongs, systematically razed, 
to make way for the construction of new areas with 
1. DOCOMOMO stands for the International Working Party for 
Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighbourhoods tower blocks for offices, hotels and apartments. 
of the Modern Movement. It is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the China consumes 40% of the world’s cement and 
conservation of important buildings. 
yet its buildings are not expected to last longer 
than thirty years.
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RECREATIONAL NEEDS OF DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS. These needs, together with the 
percentage of the total population corresponding to each age group, form the basis of the programme 
that will enable us to plan the recreation areas. This graph, designed by the Dutch group C.I.A.M. 
for the city of Rotterdam, formed part of a comprehensive study of the recreational needs of that 
city.
A framework from the 1930s, from the International Congresses of Modern Architecture, where people over the age of 50 were given no other option but to take their strolls supported by their walking sticks or sit down on a bench.
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General concepts of an evolution >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> appliances. Of course, an imaginative urban and 
Beyond standard contemporary concepts, such as The ageing of the social management may boost participation 
globalisation and sustainability, we can highlight in agreements and exchanges for remodelling 
six recurrent phenomena in the development of population requires buildings that house different ways of living, 
cities in general and in Europe in particular, which transformations of where new relationships between people are 
have had a major influence on the promotion of urban structures, established, with the possibility of offering shared 
renovations: public spaces and services and co-housing experiences.
facilities so they With regard to the emphasis on diversity, you 
1. The ageing, both social and physical, of the can see iconic examples such as Silodam in 
built environments. In Europe, above all, we live are more accessible, Amsterdam (1995-2002) from the MVRDV group 
in already made cities, and longer life expectancies user-friendly and (Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries), 
have led to an ageing population requiring sustainable. with a huge variety of typologies; and agreements 
transformations of all its urban structures, public >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> between individuals in the housing-renovation 
spaces and facilities so they are more accessible, project in the old centre of Granada, a process 
friendly and sustainable. of exchange, reforms, temporary expropriations 
In his book Poden sobreviure les nostres ciutats? and additions, started in 1989, coordinated and 
(1942), Josep Lluís Sert, dealing with uses of public designed by Juan Domingo Santos. 
spaces according to life cycles, turned to a 1930s When users ask for uniqueness, massive 
system from a Dutch branch of the CIAM2, in which repetitive housing complexes are not appropriate. 
people over the age of 50, described there as old, By contrast, the initial complexity we find in 
were given no other option but to take their strolls existing urban fabrics is much greater, shaped by 
supported by their walking sticks or sit down on diversity of type. Today it is about planning case 
a bench. After several decades, the demographic by case, whether small collective housing projects 
panorama, life expectancies and active ageing or remodelling or renovation projects.
have totally changed conditions. And this change 
requires the complete transformation of cities and 3. Flexible and diverse uses of housing. Diversity 
dwellings, bearing in mind that a high percentage of household units, different from conventional 
of elderly people aged 80 and over have functional families, is becoming more and more common. 
limitations. Changes of uses in such places are therefore 
needed. There has been a break with traditional 
2. Individualism and the need for social structures and networks and, at the same 
individualisation. Our “liquid modernity”, as time, a rise in migratory movements in a context 
conceptualised by Zygmunt Bauman, stands out of post-colonial societies and relations through 
for its growing emphasis on individualisation social networks. The percentage of traditional 
and social distinction, on uniqueness and nuclear family is decreasing compared to various 
diversity. All this can lead to atomisation and types of household units, which are evolving and 
consumerism, for example, multiplying electrical being reconstructed. We therefore need dwellings 
that can be transformed and spaces without 
hierarchies.
2. International Congresses of Modern Architecture.
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4. Rethinking technology from the point of view of >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> road traffic was the greatest enemy for communal 
human and social use, in other words, developing Compact cities coexistence and social and comfortable life in 
intermediary, interactive, replaceable, sustainable the modern city. Christopher Alexander and 
and recycling-made technologies. Immersed in are the key to Serge Chermayeff argued in Community and 
a society of information and communication tackling ecological Privacy (1963) that the worst enemies of privacy 
technologies, and with a vast range of materials problems, which were traffic and noise. Cars and motorcycles are 
and techniques, new coordinates need to tried involves making responsible for 80% of urban noise and, because 
out for a social and egalitarian use of technical the most of existing of their gas emissions, constitute the number 
contributions, in favour of quality of life in one enemy for quality of life and human health. 
housing and in the city. There is an extensive cities, prioritising These days there are examples, such as “car-free” 
field of experimentation, which was pointed out renovations over colonies and neighbourhoods in Vienna and 
through some of the proposals for Casa Barcelona demolitions and new Freiburg, where users opt to restrict the use and 
in Construmat publications at the start of the building work. presence of cars, in favour of cutting costs and 
21st century, or through the current Barcelona CO2 emissions and improving housing complexes. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
proposal from the APROP (local provisional Families are giving up cars or one out of every ten 
accommodation), based on industrially produced uses car sharing; the savings made from what 
modules and located in the city’s now established would have been high underground-construction 
structure. In sum, this is a humanised technology costs for parking places are being invested in 
that can be adapted to our built environments, gardens and facilities. Such an urban policy has 
which lacks a universal value but needs to be been launched in Barcelona with superblocks, 
different in each context. starting in Poblenou and by the Mercat de 
Sant Antoni; the Amendment to the General 
5. An increase in the value of “urban culture”. Metropolitan Plan (MPGM) for parking places, 
Social relations, gender equality, quality of which exempts public housing, cooperatives and 
life, well-being and happiness are becoming ecological buildings from the obligation to build 
increasingly appreciated; in other words, values parking places, represented a key advancement 
of centrality and proximity which are developing for adapting to the new times.
in a dense and balanced city. Facing the prospect All this involves prioritising the renovation and 
of disperse urbanisation, compact cities are remodelling of existing cities, boosting a new 
the key to tackling ecological problems, which culture of maintenance and reassessing traditional 
involves making the most of existing cities, their dwellings for their possibilities and flexibility. If 
remodelling and densification, by prioritising we were to follow the principles of common sense, 
renovations over demolitions and new building making the most of and improving what we have 
work, reducing our dependence on cars and while maximising its yield, there would be greater 
boosting public transport systems. equality and diversity.
6. Reducing the presence of cars, giving priority Strategies
to pedestrians and cyclists, increasing green There is a close relationship between society 
spaces and improving public transport. Louis and architecture. Renovation policies, based 
Kahn had already asserted in his urban projects on diversity and multiculturalism, are the best 
for restructuring Philadelphia (1945-1962) that alternative for our times, as they promote a 
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maintenance culture that requires a series of >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> a reconsideration of ground floors for community 
changes, strategies and priorities where social, Social diversity of uses, to give more life to these public spaces. 
urban and environmental aspects interact. An iconic example is the transformation of the 
neighbourhoods Augustenborg neighbourhood in Malmö, which 
1. One key is the densification processes of is a public issue, was started towards the end of the 1980s, under 
unoccupied territory, to boost proximities needed and lifts have to a landscaping project, based on the presence 
between dwellings and services, facilities, shops be interpreted of water and urban allotments. Selective waste 
and activities. Take the example of Almere, in as collective collection, environmental education and the 
the Netherlands, and its remodelling and re- installation of recycling pavilions and green 
densification of the centre of a new residential infrastructures. points in every square or park encourages 
neighbourhood, which the existing fabric has >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> people to transform their lifestyles in favour of 
been filled and completed with, under the Rem sustainability. There is a compost-based methane-
Koolhaas / OMA master plan, for a three-level gas production plant in Augustenborg. And the 
city: infrastructures, pedestrian passages and key to interventions in Barcelona’s industrial 
dwellings. Private initiative is behind the La estates such as Canyelles and the south-west of El 
Casa por el Tejado developments in Barcelona, Besòs lies in improving public spaces too.
which re-assemble pre-fabricated modules while 
renovating entire buildings. The City Council has 3. Installation of lifts and improvements in 
proposed ATRIs (tactical inclusive-repopulation accessibility, including escalators between the 
accommodation units), which take advantage buildings located along steep slopes (as in Les 
of empty land sites, party walls and repairs that Roquetes, in Barcelona, and in Oliveres i Can 
are still possible. The goal is to increase the stock Franquesa, in Santa Coloma de Gramenet), 
of affordable housing, by exploring the city’s are an essential tool for making working-class 
densification opportunities, as New York city has neighbourhoods habitable. All this involves 
been doing under its “Mandatory Inclusionary intervening on landings and redoing the vertical 
Housing” programme, which allows developers to circulations of buildings. It is crucial for lift 
produce higher and denser housing projects, on installations to be a process that is partly funded 
condition that a given percentage of such housing and coordinated by public bodies, with the 
is allocated to affordable rent. Such a scheme has necessary technical advice. Social diversity of 
been introduced in Barcelona, with a 30% reserve neighbourhoods is a public issue, and lifts have 
of protected housing in new operations and to be interpreted as collective infrastructures for 
renovations of a certain size. people with reduced mobility. 
2. Interventions in public spaces and recycling 4. Improving internal and external structures 
next to buildings. Society currently calls for and dwellings’ facilities, intervening above all 
more nature in the city. At the same time, a new in bathrooms and kitchens, is another necessary 
neighbourhood landscaping has been developed, process in old or dilapidated neighbourhoods. This 
for which purposes the most important thing is means redoing things by keeping demolitions to 
to integrate it into the water cycle, with conduits, a minimum and renovating as much as possible. 
moving water, ponds and drainage points. This is There are pioneering cases in Catalonia, such as the 
linked to the creation of small urban allotments and experiences of Joan Margarit and Carles Buixadé 
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The transformation of the neighbourhood of Augustenborg, in Malmö, based on the presence of water and urban allotments, is an iconic example of the path that is being embarked on towards sustainability in public spaces. 
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who have been working since 1985 for ADIGSA >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> context of modern housing neighbourhoods.
in renovating neighbourhoods in poor repair, Participation In addition, there are also many possibilities 
undersized structures and cement weakened by for boosting relations with the exterior, such 
aluminosis, piritosis and carbonation. Support processes and new as introducing green roofs and incorporating 
structures were accordingly devised for wrought forms of governance buildings into the water cycle, in collecting 
iron with aluminosis, such as in Turó de la Peira, are crucial for the rainwater. Increasing surface areas in dwellings is 
as were external structures for strengthening urban planning of also linked to improving views and transparencies, 
buildings, such as the La Pau industrial estate. And the future. which ensure they have their own outside space. 
a new line of interior renovations was launched Demands from residents of the Trinitat Nova 
during this term of office, to improve health, >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> neighbourhood in the 1990s were heading in 
accessibility, safety and thermal insulation. this direction and making natural cross-cutting 
ventilation a condition for all the dwellings.
5. Improving façades and insulation, to save 
on air-conditioning energy costs and improve 7. Energy saving by using solar, geothermal and 
residents’ quality of life through sound-proofing. wind-powered energy, to co-generation and 
New ventilated façades can be built for this purpose, other means, and improving thermal insulation 
as has been done in Catalonia’s social housing to reduce consumption. A model example is the 
neighbourhoods. These chromatic renovation Vauban eco-neighbourhood, in Germany, where 
processes and improvements in energy efficiency part of the old barracks was renovated and solar 
can be a good start, as seen in the social housing houses and a car-park building with solar panels 
along Passeig de Santa Coloma, 55-71, in the Sant (solar garage) were built. Another example is 
Andreu district, by the Oikosvia team of architects, Sargfabrik, in Vienna (1992-1998), from the 
though improvements would also have to be made BKK-3 team, where a coffin factory was reused 
to their interiors during the later stages. Another with a cooperative-management system for 
notable project is the one at Carrer de Lope de sustainability and renovation. For a future based 
Vega, 111, in the Sant Martí district, through which on energy renovation, it is essential for residents 
the block’s interior façade was redone, as a resilient to have sufficient training in energy saving.
and adjustable skin, under the project by Carles 
Pérez, Sandra Bestraten and Emili Hormías. 8. Participation and governance. Participation 
processes and new forms of governance are 
6. More surface area and an improved crucial for the urban planning of the future. This is 
relationship with the outside, either by taking connected to strengthening and developing a new 
advantage of lift installations, with added culture for participation and renovation, as in the 
cantilevers and bodies, with balconies and above-mentioned Vauban neighbourhood. See the 
terraces, or galleries and greenhouses: this is proposal for a sustainable everyday life (Sustainable 
about increasing the surface area of dwellings. Everyday. Scenarios of Urban Life, 2003) by Ezio 
The proposals from Anne Lacaton, Jean Philippe Manzini and François Jégou; the tradition of housing 
Vassal and Frédéric Druot for social housing cooperatives in Montevideo, where priority is given 
complexes in France are iconic here. They are to renovations, and the Jorge Mario Jáuregui method 
about transforming instead of demolishing; with for remodelling, strengthening and urbanising Rio 
a contemporary intervention that respects the de Janeiro’s unregulated settlements.
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Renovation processes are key in societies with ageing assets and residents.
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9. Renovation is closely connected to the neigh- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> nursery schools, self-managed and cooperation 
bourhood's improvement, in that dilapidated The public places, and businesses, such as bars, cafeterias 
dwellings harm the life of their environment. and restaurants, are opened. The greater the mix of 
Which is why the Barcelona Neighbourhood Plan investment required classes in a neighbourhood, the more possibilities 
(2016-2019), delimited in Ciutat Vella and the for creating a job in there will be diversity in work and interrelations.
Besòs area, includes, besides renovations (which renovation is less Renovation processes, then, are the key in some 
have focused on “high-complexity properties”), than the annual cost societies, with ageing assets and residents, to the 
improvements to public spaces, the promotion of of unemployment promotion of proximity and overlap of uses and 
cooperatives and implementation of institutes for activities and the boosting of social uses of time.
improving education. benefits for every 
unemployed worker. The current Barcelona model
10. Activating jobs. No urban improvement can >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> During the 2015-2019 term of office, Barcelona City 
be achieved without social improvements; and Council gave priority to renovations (both private 
these depend on boosting job-creating activities: and public stock), investing in its promotion 
maintenance work, workshops, exchanges, a total of 114 million euros, which enabled 
initiative incubators etc. Every public euro interventions in 1,971 buildings, corresponding 
invested that promotes renovations generates to 29,620 dwellings and an improvement to 
3 private-investment euros, and with every the quality of life of some 70.000 people. This 
30,000 euros invested a job is created. In sum, helped to bring about both a quantitative and a 
the public investment required for creating a qualitative change, and the consolidation of a new 
job in renovation is less than the annual cost of social, territorial and anti-gentrification policy. 
unemployment benefits for every unemployed Today, the city that invented the “Barcelona posa’t 
worker. It is therefore a key sector for the good guapa” programme, thought up for façades, is 
use of public investment and for promoting once again at the fore, with a proposal that is 
employment offers, by strengthening local jobs for based on the situation in each neighbourhood. In 
small and medium-size enterprises and positive addition, one of the key criteria was to intensify 
complementary uses for the neighbourhood. the diversification of stairs: from interventions in 
The renovation of small shops next to Plaça de interiors and improvements to façades, to general 
Dolors Canals in the industrial estate in the south- invitations to tender and initiatives in estates in 
west of the Besòs has enabled the installation of poor repair, not to mention the urban renovation 
the Neighbourhood Plan’s office, creating a visible of housing complexes and their public space. 
place for information and training on improving One of the new models introduced to Barcelona, 
neighbourhoods. The above-mentioned Swedish which entails a paradigm shift, involves moving 
city of Malmö saw the creation, towards the end of from traditional general invitations to tender — 
the 1990s, of new workshops, businesses and shops which are kept in their investments and place 
for migrants in the working-class neighbourhood emphasis on structural pathologies, installing lifts, 
of Rosengaº rd; jobs and coworking next to homes, common elements and energy renovation — to 
and local shops and small businesses on the ground investing more financial and human resources in a 
floors. Quality of urban life is at stake in the form proactive position on the part of the City Council, 
and use of ground floors. Quality of life is improved which intervenes directly in neighbourhoods and 
where walls are removed and facilities, such as buildings where renovations — which are urgent 
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and due to the social features of their residents >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> At the same time, renovation can become an 
— require municipal intervention. Renovations Renovation acts as a anti-gentrification tool that promotes reasonable 
therefore act as a redistribution tool in the areas of rental prices, seeing that such aid is only awarded 
rights, quality of life, health and social cohesion. redistribution tool in to owners who keep their rental prices within 
In other words, they have moved from being the areas of rights, the reference rental price index established by 
an Authority calling for applications from people quality of life, health the Catalan government in June 2017. Called for 
with the means or information for accessing aid to and social cohesion. by Barcelona since 2016, this price index was 
an Authority that takes the initiative in detecting >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> finally dealt with and represents the first step 
properties with problems, which separates and towards the crucial regulation of rental prices. 
diversifies interventions. A team of experts from The second step is promoting rental prices within 
the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) this average range, and this may fall within the 
was commissioned in 2016 to conduct a crucial jurisdiction of local authorities. And the next step, 
and totally new preliminary study to establish depending on State or regional legislation, will 
the “high-complexity estates”; this was a map be for municipalities to have the authority to fine 
of Barcelona's residential vulnerability which owners for abusive rental prices.
detected 444 buildings in poor repair, awaiting Another of the big contributions is territorial 
renovations and lift installations and with distribution. This can be seen if we overlap and 
residents’ communities with little capacity for self- add together the three plans of the three types 
organisation and funding. Most of these estates of aid: the general call, for subsidy applications, 
fall under the scope of the above-mentioned which covers, above all, Ciutat Vella, Eixample and 
Neighbourhood Plan. Gràcia; the call dealing with housing interiors, in 
Another new development are interventions in the above-mentioned neighbourhoods, and the 
dwelling interiors where financially vulnerable call dealing with high-complexity estates under the 
people live, providing them with aid that may Neighbourhood Plan, in the districts of Nou Barris, 
amount to as much as 20,000 euros in the 2017 Sant Andreu and Sant Martí. So we have a very 
call for subsidy applications and 9,000 euros in different map of the last few years which shows us 
the 2018 call, for improving kitchens, bathrooms, that renovations are really used for building a fairer 
facilities and insulation. Such cases have and healthier city, redistributing urban values.
often been detected by social workers working Another of the values contributed by public 
with older people in their homes and from aid for renovations, besides stimulating the 
consultations at the district Energy Advice Points building sector and the training of professionals, 
(PAE). 825 dossiers have already been requested, is the promotion of a legal economy, based on 
distributed in particular in the districts of Gràcia, enterprises that pay taxes and follow regulations, 
Horta-Guinardó, Nou Barris, Sant Andreu and far removed from the underground economy 
Sant Martí. We are talking about a steady trickle of that has characterised part of this sector, seeing 
cases from the neighbourhoods that least access that such aid has to be justified with budgets, 
the general call for subsidy applications. And plans, permits and employment contracts. All this 
added to this process is aid for up to 20,000 euros helps to make the processes clear, regulated and 
for owners who hand over the use of their vacant transparent.
dwellings to Barcelona's Social Rental Housing Of course, it is Barcelona City Council that has 
Pool. made the majority of the effort here. While it is 
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a call from the Barcelona Housing Consortium 
shared with the Catalan government, the latter 
invests only 20% in it (when the Consortium’s 
articles of association state that it has to be 60%), 
and Barcelona has to cover 80% of the total for 
every type of financial aid for renovation. It is true, 
however, that the Catalan government, for its part, 
receives less money from the Spanish State, which 
has refused to deal with the housing problem 
and which, despite its change of government in 
2018, has not created a much needed Ministry of 
Housing and seems to lack the resolution to bring 
about structural and regulatory changes in public 
housing policies.
In spite of all that, renovations are achieving a 
rate that will enable us to approach the European 
average. 2017 saw the investment of 26.4 million 
euros, funding approximately 42% of the total 63 
million euros dedicated to renovation. The total 
investment in 2017 was roughly 250 million euros, 
which meant that the City Council intervened in 
promoting a quarter of the investments made in 
residential assets.
If we add to all this the consolidation of a 
preventive culture of maintenance and remember 
that the cost of not intervening in time is always 
greater, we’ll be on the right track. It was therefore 
essential for there to be mandatory technical 
building inspections, “ITEs”, which the renovation 
aid subsidises for communities with few financial 
resources. 
In sum, and as explained above, renovations 
offer numerous advantages: they create jobs 
and promote responsibility and private initiative 
interventions; they are key to redistributing the 
right to the city, which has to do with housing 
and public space, with the right to places and 
neighbourhoods, and they are closely connected 
to energy saving, health improvements and life 
expectancy. Å
Improving structures is a necessary process in old or dilapidated neighbourhoods. There are pioneering cases in Catalonia, such 
as the ADIGSA’s experience in renovating the external structures of the La Pau's buildings.
Renovations are key to responding appropriately to climate change.
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02 The transformational potentialof renovation
According to the dictionary, to renovate is to solution was capturing as much solar radiation restore something to its former state. When as possible with maximum insulation), or it was it comes to buildings, however, renovations hot (and the solution was protection from solar 
have to go beyond restoring to original states. radiation and managing ventilation and thermal 
Renovation has to meet present and future needs inertia with a certain degree of insulation). In 
rather than those of the period the buildings these countries, it will be extremely difficult to 
concerned were constructed in. adapt to variability since their building culture 
We therefore need to imagine what we would does not allow simultaneous adaptations to the 
want from buildings in a not so distant future. We two adverse conditions. Episodes of canicules 
would very probably need to expect a high level of (heat waves) in France are good examples of this.
resilience from them. If we make the most of a building culture that 
Resilience, in contrast to fragility, is an ecosystem’s enables adaptations to different situations and 
capacity to return to a normal state after being ››››››››››››››››››››››››››››› use the building technologies we have at hand 
affected by disturbances or interferences. The Jordi París (materials, systems, calculation tools), we can 
resilience of a building is its capacity to adapt to Chair of the Chamber make considerable energy and economic savings 
changes. It is the closest thing to being smart, but of Professional and make these compatible with the comfort 
not necessarily digitally speaking. Service Enterprises in of spaces, even in situations of greater climatic 
What changes? Construction variability.
It all seems to point to buildings increasingly Another type of change that we will have to 
having to adapt to climate and functional changes. face are functional changes in buildings, and 
Climate variability is increasingly present, over renovations can also play a notable role here. Such 
here too, and buildings are a key element for changes are hardly new, but they never happened 
responding to it appropriately. at the accelerated pace we see today.
Here we have an interesting feature, given that After major reforms are completed in a 
our climate, unlike in many other parts of the hospital, we often find that plans are under way 
globe, has always faced two challenges: achieving to implement a new reform of some functional 
comfort when it is hot and when it is cold. packages, because the needs of their functional 
In many countries, the question had been programme have started to change. A primary 
simpler up to now: either it was cold (and the school built today may soon need to be turned into 
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Renovation focused on energy and functional resilience that does not represent a significant increase in costs compared to a conventional renovation.
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a secondary school, and maybe a few years from >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> term (improvement of spaces and their capacity 
now it will have to become a old people's home. A renovation focused to be rented or sold) and long term (enabling 
Few buildings up to now had been prepared for future reforms, recurrent savings in exploitation 
taking on frequent and drastic changes. There are on energy and expenses, recovery of the maximum value of the 
paradigmatic examples such as the Modernista functional resilience components and so on).
Hospital de Sant Pau, which was able to be is an investment that There are additional advantages too to using 
adapted to a change of hospital model, and finally, does not represent dry-build systems, manufactured in workshops 
to a drastic change of use thanks, among other a significant increase and assembled on site, instead of renovating 
things, to its flexible-space structure. through traditional systems: improving the 
Such resilience for taking on future functional in costs compared components’ quality control and the building 
changes is one of the main points that have to a conventional work’s safety, appreciably increasing performance 
to be taken into account when it comes to renovation. speeds and material and energy sustainability, 
comprehensive renovations, not to mention in >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> encouraging local industries with innovative and 
new-construction projects. exportable technological systems etc.
When we talk of functional changes, we are not We have experts over here prepared to take 
referring merely to changes in the distribution on these challenges with maximum solvency, 
of spaces but rather to the incorporation of a business network capable of contributing 
new technologies, regulations and standards. solutions and European mandates encouraging 
Organising serving and served spaces and providing us to carry out this re-conversion. Making such 
for clear and strategically located installation types of renovations more widespread will result, 
spaces should prevent buildings from becoming on the one hand, in a consolidated reduction of 
obsolete too soon and requiring new reforms. This consumption as well as an environmental impact 
is an economic (not making investments which on buildings and, on the other, in an increase in 
cannot be recovered owing to early obsolescence) the industrial fabric related to innovation and 
and environmental imperative. technology, with new high added-value jobs.
Just as climate resilience is to a large extent The building sector over here has a 
related to energy and its sustainability, functional transformational potential for contributing a 
resilience is closely connected to materials and value we may not all be aware of but which we 
their life cycles, and forms part of the dynamics of need to take advantage of. 
the circular economy. Just as it is very important for new buildings to 
This capacity for resilience, which brings value be made with these criteria taken into account, the 
to buildings, turns renovations into investments, bulk of the improvement also has to necessarily 
rather than mere spending. Bearing in mind the occur in constructed housing stock that is unequal 
life cycle of a building is essential here. in building and environmental qualities and in its 
A renovation focused on energy and functional capacity to adapt to present and future needs.
resilience is an investment that does not represent We would be well advised to promote 
a significant increase in costs compared to a renovations to speed up a transformation that is 
conventional renovation (it may even be cheaper, already in progress and which can only benefit 
depending on the case), and, at the same time, has us as a society and as individuals in the short, 
a clear economic return, both in the short term medium and long term. Å
(energy savings from day one) and in the medium 
Specialisation of the players is the main challenge when it comes to approaching renovation work.
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03 Renovation: The challenges of construction enterprises
This communication is meant to be a in force. Management work becomes all the more reflection, the result of personal but shared complicated with special situations arising from experiences, on the situation of enterprises building pathologies and special work having to 
dedicated to reforming, renovating and be carried out as a result of technical building 
maintaining buildings. Mainly on commonhold inspections (ITEs). They need technical advice 
dwellings or from the public housing stock from competent professionals and, above all, 
managed by the various authorities. My have to manage the aims of the owners, which do 
reflections on aspects of managing the execution not always coincide with one another in terms of 
of works that start with projects commissioned by ››››››››››››››››››››››››››››› opinions and interests, and have to help to obtain 
the various developers and which are awarded to Josep Gassiot i Matas everyone’s consensus. The situations become 
the enterprises that have to carry it out with the Chair of the Barcelona complicated when there are problems arising from 
quality necessary for satisfying the needs and and Counties Builders’ unstable financial or social situations. In the case 
aspirations of the end users who will be living Guild of properties with dwellings with major problems 
in the dwellings. The first issue that has to be and in especially difficult areas, managing projects 
pointed out is that those who manage renovation requires teamwork and the dedication of an expert 
projects often have no connection with the people in management in collaboration with the various 
later using the dwellings (the end users), thereby players (managers, experts and builders) that make 
leading to problems and dysfunctions. up the management collaboratively acting together 
The first challenge facing us when approaching and seeking out all the possible resources.
a renovation project is the specialisation of The second players intervening in renovations 
the players intervening in projects and their are the renovation projects’ technical designers. 
execution. These are expert architects, depending on the case, 
The first player that intervenes as a manager is who have the skills to make diagnoses, propose 
the management agent, who detects the needs of initiatives, carry out projects and direct them as 
the buildings and manages their maintenance. project managers. As in all construction-related 
Their function in the usual operations is cases, not all the skilled experts have experience 
repetitive and they organise initiatives with in renovation, which is a speciality requiring 
seriousness and rigour, and regulate all forms of expertise, both in diagnosing and in preparing 
management in accordance with the legislation projects. In some cases teams have to be set up 
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or the advice of experts sought out to guide the >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> and planning stage. In such cases, any problems 
project solutions and find the best ones in terms of Collaborative work arising when the work begins can be more 
cost/benefit ratios. Such is the case with repairing easily solved through collaboration between the 
structures that present problems and in which from the start in various players from the start of the project. This 
the project proposals require a specialisation for renovation projects methodology, which is beginning to be used (and 
finding safe and affordable proposals which have makes it easier for not without some resistance) in large-scale new-
a minimal effect on the building's functionality. problems to  construction projects, should start being formally 
Another obvious case is that of improving the be solved. and regularly introduced in renovation work. I 
energy efficiency of buildings, which requires would like to point out that in some successful 
expertise for proposing the best project on what >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> cases, setting up a group between manager-
is reasonably affordable. In many cases, the designer and construction enterprise, with a prior 
construction enterprises’ experts offer opinions on objective selection of this team, has achieved very 
how to realise initiatives and enable assessments of good results. The rigidity of the traditional hiring 
the costs arising from these initiatives. process hinders problem solving.
Renovation-dedicated construction enterprises Throughout our sector, projects often do not 
also need specialisation. Carrying out a new-build provide for real prices based on objective costs. 
construction project is not the same as intervening The price tables applicable to renovation projects 
in a lived-in building and carrying out work with would have to be adapted in each case to the 
the dwellings’ users present. Specialisation has nature of the work. That requires expertise and 
to be through technology (making a concrete assessments on the standard price base of the new 
structure is not the same as recovering bearing work do not correspond to real renovation costs.
capacity with carbon-fibre reinforcement); but The problem of assessing work costs extends 
also through the way of managing the pace of to diagnosis and planning work too. Often the 
the work and making it compatible with the running of the projects or the overall management 
lives of the dwellings’ residents. Managing every of the work is not properly assessed. Savings in 
incident requires technicians, work managers projects usually end up expensive when the work 
and operators with proven training and skills. In is completed. Quality is a mandatory requirement 
general, enterprises specialising in renovations and prices have to be fair to cover costs. We still 
are small and medium sized, with a good level come across projects and other work in our sector 
of technification and a capacity to manage awarded below cost and that causes problems. 
responses to various situations. These are We have a growing deficit of works personnel 
enterprises that have to have (and in most cases throughout the construction sector, which is even 
they do) minimum management protocols to be more evident in the renovation sector, which is 
able to offer traceability in the work carried out workforce intensive. They lack specialists from 
and guarantee a high quality. the building and other trade sectors. Vocational 
Managing renovation projects requires the training does not work in our sector. The best 
establishment of a team made up of the players classroom is a project (with programme and 
mentioned above. The work and projects are monitoring). Projects are varied, with variable 
complex, there are often incidents that are hard situations, and VT centres are located in very 
to detect in the project, for example, structural specific places and distance learning is not 
flaws that are impossible to detect at the diagnosis provided for in these cases. Training contracts do 
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not apply to our sector, under current legislation, >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> are not clear, are subject to interpretation and 
and there is strong opposition from the unions Many renovation create doubts even for the experts. It would be 
and labour authorities to updating them. necessary to simplify and clarify the application 
One of the difficulties that arise in renovation enterprises offering of the reduced VAT rate of 10% and apply it to 
projects is funding. There are two fundamental funding for part of all renovation projects. This now long-standing 
issues here. First, aid for renovation and the work, but this demand has never been considered by those in 
improvement work. Work can be subsidised at has a limit for each charge of taxation under different governments.
considerable percentages through aid. Good enterprise. Renovation is a sector with a strong presence in 
planning can help with obtaining subsidies, I the unregulated economy. Construction enterprises 
estimate, of close to 25% of work costs. But aid is >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> are hardly regulated and this encourages the 
subject to calls for subsidy applications and these emergence of some enterprises that do not 
are linked to the budgets of various authorities act transparently and fail to comply with their 
and derive from annual budgets. There is no employment and tax obligations. The supposed 
ongoing or secure line of subsidies; the criteria liberalisation of business activities has enabled 
often change and this makes management them to act in the market, once they obtain a tax 
difficult. A renovation project has a maturity licence. There are no obstacles to entering a sector 
period of almost two years, during which time the that has a considerable social repercussion. Some 
aid criteria may have changed, pending further regulation in this case would serve as a mechanism 
calls with unknown publication dates. to safeguard consumer interests. Compliance with 
Aid is necessary for the promotion of renovations, the measures for health and safety, waste treatment, 
but owners have to fund the rest of the work. It is no legislative employment and tax obligations would 
mean feat obtaining funding from banks, and city have to be required by the competent authorities 
residents are somewhat suspicious of using such and by all the players intervening in the work. City 
means. Banks treat such loans as consumer credit residents would have to be aware that, to safeguard 
at the corresponding rates. Furthermore, they their interests as consumers and acquire the 
are suspicious of guarantees offered by owners’ guarantees they are entitled to, they would have 
associations and, above all, of the social impact of to call for transparency and all legally enforceable 
a possible foreclosure for payment defaults. Many requirements.
renovation enterprises currently offer funding We have always proposed the promotion of 
for part of a project and do so from their own voluntary registers in construction enterprises, 
resources or with financial leverage from a bank, such as the CONSTA register (www.consta.org) for 
but this has a limit for each enterprise, and should organising the sector, an initiative that we have 
not be a regular or future policy of the sector. always called for to protect the sector and, above 
The tax aspects of renovation are another issue all, consumers.
that would have to be dealt with. Tax relief for Another challenge we need to take on, as 
renovation projects is not stable in financial years construction enterprises, relates to improving 
and is seldom used. One aspect we have been the energy efficiency of buildings. The passive 
demanding for a long time now is renovation VAT. behaviour of buildings accounts for 20% of 
The reduced VAT rate of 10% may apply (nominally) our country’s total energy consumption. A 
to renovation and efficiency-improvement work, decisive but prudent plan would enable a 50% 
but the VAT rule sets certain conditions that reduction in such consumption. In other words, 
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under a ten-year plan we could reduce energy >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> need to offer systems that are validated and with 
consumption and emissions by 10%. To do that As renovation a guaranteed durability. New technologies enable 
we would have to introduce the energy vector or require us to change our mobile telephones or 
in every renovation project, raising awareness enterprises, we computers every three years. Can we do the same 
among citizens and the entire sector. So far, for all have to promote in energy renovation work?
the notable and well-focused efforts, there have the adaptation Despite the difficulties, we must not lose heart. 
been no significant results. Why? The response of new systems The challenges we have could be summed up in 
is complex, but in my opinion there is a lack of for exploiting four lines of action:
convergence between the renovation and energy- •  Working for the professionalisation and 
improvement programmes. Renovation can be renewable energies. specialisation of all the renovation sector's 
understood as an improvement to the safety of >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> players. Players who act or have influence in the 
buildings (structures), accessibility, building sector. 
envelope pathologies and habitability problems •  Improving the integrated management of 
such as humidity. Energy efficiency programmes renovation work so that it promotes a culture 
help and fund more efficient insulation and of collaboration between the various players at 
facilities, although the citizens do not appreciate every stage. From diagnosis to reception of the 
the need for thermal improvements if they have work and its maintenance during its useful life. 
problems they consider priority, such as safety With integrated and collaborative management.
and accessibility. Another school of thought I • W orking to achieve stable, consensual sector 
believe to be mistaken involves justifying energy policies that are maintained over time. Which 
improvements with the savings that would enable the sustainability of the professional 
be obtained in consumption. The returns on work of all the players. There can be no training 
investments in residential buildings under this for businesses or professionalised players 
criterion are between ten and twelve years. The without stability. Obtaining support from 
value that has to be promoted is improved well- the authorities to disseminate a programme 
being, health and, above all, civic awareness for to promote renovations and energy saving. 
helping to fight to reduce CO2 emissions. Outreach programmes aimed at city residents 
An effort must be made by renovation enterprises through civic influencers.
to integrate new expertise. We know a lot about • P romoting the incorporation of young people 
construction and have good understanding of into the renovation sector through practical 
the mechanics of structures and now we need to training by bringing apprentices back into an 
incorporate knowledge of thermodynamic applied updated vocational and occupational training 
to buildings. With the collaboration of the various programme. Å
players we need to promote the adaptation of 
new systems for exploiting renewable energies in 
renovation works. Innovation in these areas is no 
mean feat. The introduction of renewable energy 
elements is progressing at a fast pace and the new 
systems have not been tried out that much and 
the technology becomes obsolete very quickly, 
whilst we, all the players working in renovation, 
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The passive behaviour of buildings accounts for 20% of our country’s total energy consumption.
CHAPTER
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04 Carme Borrell: “Physical housing 
conditions influence 
people's health”
Conversation with the Manager of the Barcelona Public Health Agency 
The conversation with Carme Borrell focuses on the relationship between housing conditions and people’s health. The 
problem of energy poverty, which affects a large 
number of families, has come to the fore over 
the last few years. Up to now, to alleviate such 
situations, the Administration has been covering 
the payments of energy-consumption bills, but 
››››››››››››››››››››››››››››› this will end up a bottomless pit unless some 
Núria Pedrals other type of long-term measure is taken. 
Architect. We have a very extensive constructed housing 
stock with very inadequate qualities as regards 
building shells; this stock has to be renovated for 
adaptation to today’s quality requirements and 
because, in any case, renovating is much cheaper 
than building anew. 
Renovating buildings has a high initial 
investment cost but guarantees, through passive Borrell is a physician, specialising in preventive medicine and public health.
measures, the improved behaviour of dwellings, 
a reduction in energy demand and substantial 
improvements to comfort conditions, even 
though there are no extra energy contributions. 
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Carme Borrell, an expert in public health, guides >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Physical housing conditions also have an 
us through the results of the studies conducted by “The Authority influence on people’s health. Living in housing 
the Barcelona Public Health Agency and gives her with damp or mould can bring about a series 
opinion on what she believes ought to be prioritised. ought to take more of illnesses such as respiratory diseases. What 
proactive action renovations do is improve the physical conditions 
What relationship is there between housing to incentivise of dwellings.
conditions and people’s health? renovations.” And added to that, the cornerstones of 
This is a relatively new topic in this case; we've >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> inequality, the fact of being a man or woman, 
been examining it for seven or eight years now. belonging to one social class or another or being 
We began working on a project called “Sophie” an immigrant. All these aspect end up having an 
under the European Union’s seventh framework effect on health. 
research programme. The first thing that we We reviewed the bibliography through project 
considered was how to establish a theoretical Sophie and explained the importance these 
framework to help us understand the relationship aspects had for the population's health.
between housing and health.
This framework included four large sections or Do you believe that the renovation policies 
blocks. The first emphasised the labour market’s currently being implemented are appropriate or 
general conditions, economic policies and the sufficient?
welfare state's policies. These policies related to I’m no expert here but we have been considering 
both housing and health. the issue, seeing as I’m surrounded by architects. 
The second block were the structural aspects From what I understand, the aim behind most 
relating to housing, that is, housing and market of the policies being implemented is to provide 
policies. Bear in mind that, in our country, housing financial aid, something that is hard to obtain, 
depends on the market, which is not the case in given that the procedures are often complicated. 
other countries where policies have changed their They’re probably necessary but insufficient, 
market. because, despite their availability, a large part of 
These two large blocks have an impact on the the population lacks the financial resources to be 
other two: one is housing itself and the other is able to afford to pay for the rest of the renovation 
the neighbourhood. It makes no sense taking work. 
housing out of the context of neighbourhoods: it is 
a very different thing living in a neighbourhood with There are a few specific calls for subsidy 
services, facilities, green spaces and social cohesion, applications, known as “high-complexity calls”, 
from living in a neighbourhood that lacks all of which are aimed at such groups of people where 
these. That is why it is important to bear in mind this the entire costs of the work may be paid for. 
aspect which is directly linked to habitability. It's a good thing that the entire costs of the 
The fourth block is housing; this block can be work can be paid for in such cases, although, in 
subdivided into two sections: social and physical. addition to aid, the Administration ought to take 
The mainly social section has to do with housing more proactive action to incentivise renovations.
affordability. The crisis years in the Spanish State  It was within the framework of this European 
saw some 600,000 foreclosures, resulting in the project that we conducted a study that analysed 
eviction of 370,000 people. the impact on health of renovations carried out in 
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Physical housing conditions have repercussions on people’s health.
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buildings in several neighbourhoods, especially in >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> who move in to one of La Borda’s dwellings and 
Nou Barris, from the 1970s onwards. “Energy poverty we expect to see a positive impact on their health 
Interventions basically involved thickening the in the future. 
exterior of walls, adding insulation (retrofitting), normally combines 
insulating roofs and installing lifts. with other types of When you’re cold you’re very inactive, you 
We also compared the association between poverty.” only think about being cold and having to wrap 
cold and the mortality rates of the people living in >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> up, you're in no mood for doing anything; the 
renovated buildings and those of people living in concept of energy poverty crops up when there 
unrenovated buildings. The study showed that, on is a large part of the population unable to meet 
cold days, the mortality rate of women was lower their utility bills to keep their homes warm.
in renovated buildings. These are good results, Cold affects both our physical and mental health. 
as they highlight a very important and objective Energy poverty also affects our health. It ought to 
health indicator which is mortality rates. be noted that energy poverty normally combines 
The opposite effect was found in the case of with other types of poverty: it's not just about 
men, whose mortality rates even increased after not having the money to keep your home warm, 
a few days of cold weather. One of the possible but also about not having enough money to eat; 
explanations was that the dwellings were not you have to choose between keeping your home 
always used correctly. One example is ventilation, warm or eating. These various uncertainties — 
which, if not carried out, can end up harming our the uncertainty of not being able to pay for your 
health. home, the uncertainty over food and so on — and 
Besides illnesses such as arthritis and energy poverty are usually linked. 
rheumatism, it is the respiratory diseases that Policies to alleviate energy poverty ought to take 
are affected the most, especially by cold weather. these three aspects into account. Firstly, providing 
These are followed by the cardiovascular ones. financial help for households that are unable to 
It may be somewhat collateral, but we have also pay; secondly, monitoring energy suppliers — this 
been working on the effects on health in brand- is a political issue but it can be done to ensure that 
new dwellings, in this case, in assigned-for-use prices do not continue to rise (the price of energy in 
cooperative housing (the La Borda1 project). One the Spanish State is among the highest in Europe) — 
of the aspects highlighted by the people living in La and thirdly, renovating. It makes no sense to hand 
Borda is that they do not get cold there. Residents out aid coupons if buildings are not renovated. 
in La Borda keep their flats at 18º-19º C in January, When it comes to housing policies, the 
without having to turn on the heating, thanks to emergency is using up a large part of our resources, 
the building's excellent planning and insulation, but we need to go further and implement long-
in other words, those who have just moved in to term measures. 
the block already note how it has improved the 
quality of their lives and their health. The study we Energy poverty is an important issue; I don’t 
have launched is aimed at monitoring the people believe anyone has done their sums properly 
in this country. People in England saw it was 
worth their while paying for renovations, 
1. La Borda is an assigned-for-use housing cooperative provided by Barce- which is cheaper than having to pay for health 
lona City Council. It opened to the public a few months ago.
care and more effective in the long term.
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 Image of the inside of the La Borda building, in Sants-Montjuïc.
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It would be a good thing to conduct an in-depth >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> temperatures. Here renovations are key, because 
study of that over here. Bearing in mind how “Excessive heat excessive heat, as with cold, can be kept at bay if 
expensive health care is in England, that it is the building is well constructed. 
much colder and that more energy is needed to also affects our 
keep homes warm, it is hardly surprising that a health and it will get What do you believe ought to be the priorities 
financial study would give these results. It would worse with climate for improving people’s well-being and health 
be very interesting to find out the reality in our change.” when it comes to housing?
country. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> We live in a country where housing policies need 
What they're doing in England is public policy, to improve a great deal. It has to be made clear that 
and it has been demonstrated that it's worth it we have a very serious problem with increasing 
for them for improving health and preventing rental prices and short-term contracts. Political 
illnesses. courage is needed to push ahead with genuinely 
transformational measures. 
It is often heard in cities such as Barcelona, Affordable housing requires such commitment, 
with a Mediterranean climate, that it doesn’t paying rent is so complicated, that renovation 
get cold, that it's not worth it to renovate, that policies are taking a back seat. There ought to be 
it is very expensive, that the sun can warm up increased public spending on housing policies. 
people's homes. Of course, we should note that there are a lot 
I’m no expert in the financial costs of renovation, of interests in the way; one of the cornerstones 
but what is clear is that cold temperatures in homes of this country’s economy is the construction 
affect people's health much more in countries in industry and the banking system is the one that 
the south than in countries in the north of Europe. can provide funding. 
Even though it is colder in countries in the north, We ought to give greater priority to public 
they have much better prepared dwellings and housing policies to ensure homes are not 
therefore live much more comfortably. Over here, commodities but a common asset. The right 
if we don’t renovate our homes, we can still live in to decent housing ought to be guaranteed for 
them; in the north, unless people renovated their everyone. Policies such as increasing the public 
homes, they could never live in them. housing stock and controlling prices and lengths 
of leases ought to be crucial. I understand these 
There's also the issue of hot weather; that's are priorities but we obviously should not forget 
practically never taken into account. A few about renovation policies. Å
summers ago there was a very severe hot-
weather crisis in Europe, and people died as a 
consequence of the unexpected heat wave. 
Excessive heat clearly affects our health and it will 
get worse with climate change.
We studied the 2003 heat wave here, as it was 
very serious. Several studies confirmed the rise in 
mortality rates that summer. The repercussions 
in northern Europe were considerable, because 
people there were not used to such high 
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Renovating buildings reduces the demand for energy and improves comfort conditions.
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Annexe: examples 
of renovations
Series of renovated buildings in the Canyelles neighbourhood.
CHAPTER
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05 Renovating the Canyelles neighbourhood
As we drive along the Ronda de Dalt de Barcelona ring road, we cannot help but notice the changes that the Canyelles 
neighbourhood, located in the highest part of the 
city, has been undergoing. Made up of a series 
of detached houses and 14-storey buildings, this 
neighbourhood has been gaining a personality 
of its own and seeing changes in the colours of 
its building façades. These apparently formal 
changes conceal a much more profound 
renovation process. 
The Canyelles neighbourhood was built back 
in the 1970s to provide accommodation for the 
city’s burgeoning population, some of whom had 
come from other redeveloped neighbourhoods. 
The façades of its buildings have been in need of 
renovation because of carbonation (decomposing 
concrete) problems. 
This need has offered an opportunity for 
carrying out fuller renovations as well as improving Smarter European project alongside the cities of 
the façades’ insulation. Stockholm and Cologne. The process, which was 
This was all explained to us by César Gutiérrez, led by the former Barcelona Housing Trust, applied 
the Chair of the Residents’ Association, who lives in for extraordinary European funding, and the 
one of the renovated former detached houses and Catalan government, Gas Natural and the UPC also 
has been at the fore, through his enthusiasm and took part to assess the results obtained. 
conviction, of a good part of the renovation process. The project, explains César Gutiérrez, included 
He tells us that, given the need to carry out work insulating façades and roof spaces and, in the 
to monitor the carbonation of the concrete, the case of César's house, replacing the windows with 
opportunity was taken to participate in the Grow recycled aluminium with thermal bridge breakage 
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and Venetian blinds for controlling the effect of used to ”, he remarks — but also in the summer, 
the sun on building façades. adding that: “We now hardly ever turn on the air-
Besides these building improvements, many conditioning”. The dwelling behaves much more 
of the flats in his former detached house are uniformly during the year.  The thermos flask effect 
monitored —“the ones that have Wi-Fi”—, so arises, conserving hot and cold temperatures alike. 
residents can know at all times what their energy César is also very aware that all this renovation 
consumption is and which devices consume the has had the effect of raising awareness of costs 
most, as there are monitors that are organised by among residents. They now have the opportunity 
area, for example, the kitchen, the living room and to manage the energy consumption of their homes. 
the utility room, where the boiler is for heating. The monitoring enables them to see exactly what 
César is very proud of the entire process and is being consumed, when and where, as shown by 
its results, although “not all residents wanted to the devices located in the various areas.
have their windows replaced”, and missed a good They still have not quantified the exact financial 
opportunity to do that, given how obvious the savings they have made, because, as he explains, 
improvement is. “it's very hard to know from the bills, as prices 
He shows us his flat and comments that the keep on going up”. Of course, they can find out how 
blinds, which work electronically from inside much they've reduced their consumption by, and 
“protect against sunlight in the summer months”. he insists that it is a significant amount, although “it 
He is only too aware that the façades’ insulation is is difficult to know the precise percentages”, since 
improving the thermal conditions in his home not each resident has a different type of consumption 
just during the winter, with the consequent savings behaviour. The project’s initial estimates 
on heating — “we have it on much less than we anticipated savings of between 30% and 40% of 
the initial consumption of residents who regularly 
used the heating and air-conditioning systems. 
The process among residents “was not easy”, 
according to César, as not everyone was convinced 
about the need and opportunity for taking part in the 
Grow Smarter project. Now, however, a few months 
after the work's completion, everyone is happy. It 
was also possible to do the works from outside, in 
other words, the inconvenience that residents had 
to put up with — and there was some, of course — 
did not include having to leave their homes. 
In any case, the homes have become notably 
more comfortable, as César says, because their 
residents no longer have the feeling that their 
place is cold or too hot when they come home. The 
overall assessment of the process is very positive, 
residents are aware they have taken advantage of 
an opportunity that is not available to everyone 
and they believe their example can serve other 
neighbourhoods and communities that have to 
renovate their buildings. Å
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Renovated façade of the Lope de Vega estate, 111.
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06Renovating Lope de Vega, 111
When we arranged to meet Carlos Pérez for an interview in Carrer de Lope de Vega, 111, he suggested it would be 
better to meet in Carrer de Pallars, where we could 
get a better view of the façade. 
In fact, it is from the square that is currently 
being completed, open as a public space along 
Carrer de Pallars, that he explains this unique 
project combining energy renovation and urban 
regeneration. The renovated façade corresponds 
to the lower part of the Lope de Vega estate, 111. 
It formerly looked onto a wall, as Carlos Pérez tells 
us, but now it has the privilege of looking onto an 
open, public space, with excellent light facing east 
and extensive views. 
This intervention was carried out for several 
reasons. Firstly, the keenness of the Cornerstone 
company, located opposite it in the same block, 
which wanted to dignify the lower part of its 
building, which would be looking onto the future the possibilities that would be offered by carrying 
square on Carrer de Pallars. out a different kind of project on this façade.
Secondly, the aim of an owner, in this case of Fourthly, the possibility of taking part in the 
the entire building at Lope de Vega, 111, who European-level Grow Smarter project, and 
understood that improving the building's posterior applying for extraordinary subsidies given all the 
façade would bring considerable value to the above circumstances. 
dwellings. The initial façade looking onto the square was 
Thirdly, the father and son architects who designed exactly the same as the one of the other residents, 
the project and managed the works, Carlos Pérez as can be seen from the photos. The central idea 
Sánchez and Carlos Pérez Mir, who quickly realised of this renovation was to enlarge the existing 
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windows and add balconies to improve the 
features of the homes, and enable residents to 
privately hang out their clothes. 
As the architects explain, this improvement 
involved “moving out of darkness into the light 
through urban regeneration”. In effect, extending 
the original windows, both in height and width, 
to the point of turning them into balcony doors; 
incorporating balconies large enough to install 
a table with chairs; incorporating blinds for 
filtering sunlight and creating a very pleasant 
private ambience inside the balcony, as well as the 
considerate gesture of designing a railing to hide 
clothes hanging out to dry while adjusting the 
flow of light and views; these are features which, 
along with the outside insulation, added to the 
entire façade and the interior renovation of some 
dwellings has brought extra quality and comfort 
to the habitability of the dwellings while reducing 
their energy bills. 
The project was rounded off with the design of 
a new fence on the ground floor facing the square, 
leaving a few terraces in the dwellings on that level 
and allowing a degree of visibility of the exterior 
while providing security for the residents. 
Not everything in the process was easy, despite 
its highly satisfactory results, for either the owners 
or the tenants. The building process was slow 
and difficult. What is interesting, however, is 
the multiple agreement between Barcelona City 
Council, the Cornerstone company, Gas Natural 
and the owners, that enabled the project to go 
ahead. The project also offers the possibility of 
being replicated on the other façades looking onto 
the same square and which have the same features. 
These types of small-scale interventions 
represent a considerable improvement not just 
for the users of directly renovated buildings, but 
also for the neighbourhood's other residents, 
who will enjoy a well-conditioned free space with 
renovated façades on view. Å
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Façade of the renovated building on Pg. Sta Coloma, 55-71 
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07 Renovating the public housing stock
The field of renovation is very broad and complex. The Barcelona Municipal Institute of Housing and Renovation 
(IMHAB) has been working on several lines to 
promote renovations of buildings. As regards Pg Santa Coloma, 55 - 71
privately owned buildings, the best-known and 
usual line consists of sinking-fund subsidies that 
are awarded through annual calls for subsidy 
applications, which fund part of the renovation 
work being carried out by owners.  
There are also other renovation methods, 
however, which are being carried out in the area of 
Hospital, 116
housing owned by the municipal authorities. This 
is an expensive renovation policy, given that, in 
some cases, we are talking about the acquisition Lancaster, 7
of entire privately owned buildings. Most are in 
poor repair owing to neglect by their previous 
owners and usually have differing degrees of 
occupancy, from both physical and legal points 
of view.  In other cases they are buildings owned allocated to social or affordable rental housing. 
by the City Council and managed by IMHAB that There are several buildings that have already 
require renovation. been renovated, and where the homes have been 
In all, IMHAB manages over 8,000 dwellings awarded to various candidates. 
in various ways. Most are intended for social or Managing these projects and works is very 
affordable rental housing. complex and requires not just financial resources 
In the case of newly acquired buildings, the but also time and teams of people specialising 
purpose of such purchases is to fully renovate in several aspects of management. Legal 
the building. In some cases, even the type and management is needed, owing to the range of 
number of dwellings are changed so they can be technical legal situations in which many of these 
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buildings are occupied, to assess the state of the 
buildings' constructive, structural, habitable and 
social aspects, in order to find out the needs of its 
residents and be able to act accordingly. 
The buildings are studied case by case. The 
cases vary and require each project to be specified. 
The occupants’ situations are assessed, such as 
whether their leases have expired or are current or 
they are tenants at sufferance. An initial diagnosis 
of the state of the building is then made and plans 
drawn up, even though nothing but a rough draft 
can be done here. 
The next step is the competition for the technical 
project . The winning team carries out the project 
in 3 stages. The first stage, during which a reliable 
draft is made of the building's plans; the second 
stage, involving a diligent diagnosis that includes 
taking material samples to find out the state of the 
building’s structure, walls and building elements, 
and the third stage, consisting of the final project 
whose work can be put out to tender. 
This takes place at the same time as the social 
and legal work is being carried out to determine 
residents’ rights, duties and requirements. 
We shall highlight two of the buildings recently 
acquired by the City Council and currently at 
the renovation-project stage: both are located in 
Ciutat Vella, one in Carrer Hospital 116 and the 
other in Carrer Lancaster 7-9-11.
Carrer Hospital, 116
The Carrer Hospital 116 building project is at the 
diagnosis stage, following the reliable drafting of 
the plans of its current situation. Pathologies of 
varying importance were detected in practically 
the entire building. 
The project proposal being worked on is to convert 
its 21 current dwellings into 17, as some of the present 
“dwellings” can no longer be regarded as such but 
rather as irrevocable sub-standard housing both in 
their floor area and in their habitability conditions. 
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The comprehensive renovation project, in 
addition to reducing the number of dwellings, 
provides for the installation of lifts, renovation of 
the building’s façades and roofs in accordance with 
energy-efficiency criteria, to ensure the building’s 
good behaviour in its own right, with little need 
for external-energy contributions for its comfort. 
A study is being made of the possibility of putting 
in solar panels if there is sufficient sunlight, 
and otherwise an aerothermal installation so a 
comfortable temperature can be obtained. 
Carrer Lancaster 7-9-11
The Carrer Lancaster 7-9-11 project deals with 
a similar situation to that of the Carrer Hospital 
project but involves the additional complexity of 
sharing part of the building with the owners of a 
car park. 
Under the plan, 9 and 11 will have a unified 
main access point, the old staircase will be 
replaced with a new one and a lift will be installed. 
The project that won the competition intends to 
reduce the current number of dwellings from 42 
to 32, as there are presently “studios” in which 
people are living which fail to meet minimum 
habitability conditions and therefore have to be 
converted. 
The comprehensive renovation work, in 
addition to changing the type of housing units, 
will involve renovation of the façades and roofs in 
accordance with energy-efficiency criteria and the 
installation of lifts to ensure accessibility. 
While there is no obligation for either project 
to abide by the Technical Building Code, an 
attempt will be made to come as close as possible 
to meeting it for the sake of providing the best 
possible conditions of comfort, habitability and 
health for users. 
Both projects respect the external appearance 
of their buildings, as they will be restored and 
renovated keeping the current façades. 
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Summary of the Lancaster Renovation Project 7, 9 i 11.
››››5›8›››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››
Passeig de Santa Coloma 55-71. appearance”, and as regards its behaviour in the 
Edifici Titànic winter, they pointed out it was “less cold”, and 
Another of the projects being carried out by confirmed this by mentioning their gas costs for 
IMHAB is its renovation of the Edifici Titànic, heating had gone down. 
on Passeig de Santa Coloma 55-71, in the Sant In general, they thought that the renovation 
Andreu neighbourhood. The renovation work was was working very well in most of the flats. It had 
completed in mid 2018. improved the level of comfort in both summer 
Owned by the City Council and built in 1999, this and winter.
building houses 207 dwellings. Given its age, some With regard to the monitoring, this enabled 
of the building’s features which had deteriorated them to constantly see their electricity expenses, 
needed renovating, though not the entire building; which had not substantially dropped in their case, 
nor did the dwellings require conversions, as they but which probably had in other flats. What was 
already satisfied the habitability conditions in clear, however, was the drop in their gas bills.
force in 1999 and continue to do so today. They were very happy with the formal changes, 
The renovation basically involved improving with the dignity they had reclaimed from the 
the façades’ energy performance and the formal renovation of the façades. The resident commented 
aspect of the building that had deteriorated over that they were kept informed by the heads of the 
the years. The façades were improved by means various residents’ communities throughout the 
of SATE type ventilation and insulation through preparation process and subsequent work.   
the exterior. The railings, latticework and window 
shutters were all replaced; all these renovations 
helped to raise the building’s energy-efficiency 
certification by two letters, from E to C. The roofs 
were also repaired and the outside walls painted 
with anti-humidity paint and in several colours to 
embellish the building’s external appearance.  
A system was installed to enable the 
continuous monitoring of electricity costs and 
an accurate determination of the dwellings’ 
energy consumption. Besides acquiring all this 
knowledge, the monitoring system also plays an 
important educational role for users, as it provides 
them with the information they need to better 
manage their homes and avoid unnecessary 
energy expenses. 
We talked about this with one of the building's 
residents, who did not wish to be named. Replying 
to the initial question on their assessment of the 
building's renovation, they emphatically stated 
that they found the results “positive, above all 
for the building’s embellishment and formal 
››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››5›9›››››
››››6››0››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››