The study showcases best practices in environmental impact assessment at the project level. The European building and construction sector is resource-intensive, making the renovation of existing buildings, including cultural heritage buildings, important for reducing the sector’s environmental impact.
However, there is a misalignment between macro-level European Circular Economy (CE) policies and the micro-level renovation and management of existing buildings and cultural heritage buildings. The article proposes a new framework for Adaptive Reuse of Cultural Heritage (ARCH) to bridge this gap: a Circular Environmental Impact Indicator Framework.
The framework includes 20 indicators that focus on reducing material and energy consumption, improving water and land use efficiency, and preserving cultural and natural heritage. The specificity of this framework is to be designed to be practical and applicable for practitioners and policymakers interested in implementing CE strategies at the micro-level of punctual cultural heritage buildings.
Moreover, the authors openly indicate the need for better alignment between macro-level CE policies and micro-level indicators for cultural heritage buildings. They suggest that future CE policies should explicitly address the unique challenges and opportunities of adaptive reuse and refurbishment of cultural heritage buildings. They conclude by recommending that the ARCH Circular Environmental Impact Indicator Framework be used as a tool for decision-making, policy development, and planning in the construction and building sector.
