THE ENERGY FUTURE OF EXISTING BUILDINGS IN BRUSSELS: BETWEEN PRESERVATION AND PERFORMANCE

approach to renovation, it is necessary to surround oneself with people who are familiar with historical and heritage buildings.

The first phase of the programme will be aimed at restoration architects who have previously worked on heritage buildings and who wish to improve their expertise in the energy area. During the pilot years we hope to be able to train around fifty architects. Since the project is being developed by the Flemish Government it primarily concerns architects active in Flanders, but this experience will clearly be able to be reproduced elsewhere.

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND TIMING

The project has just started. It will be rolled out over a period of seven years, from 2014 to 2021. It is based on five pillars (fig. 3). The first is an energy desk which we will use to collect questions and experiences concerning projects in progress and which will help architects working on heritage buildings. The idea is to pool together all information in a single database, take advantage of both Belgian and foreign experience feedback and distribute this knowledge. We have already begun to collect data. The first project on which my colleagues have started work concerns the Klein Rusland social housing development (in Zelzate). Prior to carrying out the planned works, surveys will be conducted. We want to work on concrete projects in a multidisciplinary manner. For this reason not only the will the Renovation Laboratory be involved, but so too will other BBRI laboratories. This is one of the strengths of the approach, since we can call on all the expertise of our various teams. The energy desk will be maintained beyond the seven year period.

At the same time, during a two year period, course modules will be developed to train architects in these energy and heritage aspects. These courses will be given during the third year. They should, in principle, result in some type of certification, the details of which have still to be determined. We want to take inspiration from both foreign and Belgian examples to put all of this in place. Representatives of the sector will also be consulted.

A monitoring phase will then follow, carried out over four years. We want to give a concrete dimension to the project which is why this phase is the longest. At this stage, while we already have information on the possibilities for intervention, we have few data on experience feedback. In fact, information has rarely been provided about interventions carried out to date.

After the initial seven year period, we will evaluate the training and the possibility of integrating it into existing training for restoration architects.

In conclusion, I would like to call for cooperation within the framework of this programme. It is important that the information is circulated and that we are able to cooperate with the sector. Working on energy and heritage is fairly new. We are increasingly engaging in such thinking, but it is also necessary for that thinking to be rooted, in concrete terms, in practices. This is why cooperation with all of the professionals, in both the public and private sector, is essential.

A final point: if you are a contractor and have practical questions about a project, or any of the themes addressed here, please don't hesitate to contact us. We will respond by telephone or e-mail and are also willing to travel. In Brussels, we have technical guidance and

Fig . 3

Structure for the planned training of heritage advisors specialising in energy (© BBRI).

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