Multifamily housing in Belgrade - energy performance improving potential and architectural challenges

Although Serbian residential building fund is dominated by single-family housing, multifamily housing is prevailing in central zones of major cities, as well as in numerous suburbs planned and constructed during socialist period. This phenomenon can be observed particularly well in Belgrade metropolitan area, where significant portions of entire municipalities are almost exclusively dedicated to multifamily housing. Majority of multifamily housing units was constructed during the 1960s and 1970s following the socialist doctrine and exploring modern(ist) approaches in architectural design and urban planning. These buildings are characterized by poor energy performance and it is estimated that today they account for 20% of total energy consumption in housing sector, and improving their energy performance thus presents a strategic issue of national importance. Overall architectural values of these buildings are quite diverse, ranging from basic utilitarian, nowadays obsolete, to some of the most significant assemblies of the time. On the other hand, the geometry, structure, materials and facade finishes vary a lot in this period, presenting a specific challenge for contemporary adaptations. Architectural interventions regarding energy upgrades therefore require complex, holistic approach, capable of transcending the purely technical modifications that often compromise the original architectural values or don’t recognize, let alone fulfil, the overall potential of such interventions. Being 40-50 years old, these structures have accumulated numerous unresolved questions while aging: poor physical and technical condition (leaking roofs, deteriorated facades, dysfunctional technical systems etc.) and, what is even more important, functional layouts that do not match contemporary housing needs and standards. The paper is exploring the capability of resolving these issues through various adaptation/refurbishment options, which combine energy efficiency, technical, functional and aesthetic aspects into costeffective, sustainable proposals. The research is based upon the study “Belgrade IR Atlas: energy characteristics of Belgrade’s building envelopes”, further exploring the topics derived from initial study results