Co-Creating the Future of Building Renovation: Insights from Bologna
On April 7th, the fourth stakeholder co-creation workshop took place in Bologna. This session marked the conclusion of a series of workshops held across the four pilot cities, Dublin, Valencia, Rotterdam, and Bologna. Each aimed to gather local insights on what the ideal Building Renovation Passport (BRP) should look like, with Bologna serving as the final stop.
On this occasion, the workshop brought together Italian stakeholders from across the building renovation field, including architects, financial institutions, government representatives, and renovation consultants. The diverse backgrounds and perspectives of the participants enriched the session, generating a dynamic exchange of ideas around user needs and professional approaches to building renovation.
The structure of the Bologna workshop was very similar to previous sessions held with the other pilot areas. The first two parts served as a warm-up to stimulate forward-thinking discussion. First, participants were invited to imagine the world 25 years from now and reflect on how technological advancements might reshape professional realities and ways of working. A shared perspective emerged: while technologies such as BIM, AI, predictive analytics, and robotics will play a key role in streamlining processes, improving safety, and informing decisions, their transformative potential will only be fully realised if integrated into inclusive, human-centred systems.
Participants also agreed that the future of work in renovation and construction will demand new forms of collaboration, upskilling, and a redefinition of professional roles. Digital platforms will become increasingly central to planning and execution, while long-term thinking, interdisciplinary cooperation, and regulatory reforms, particularly in finance, will be essential to ensure a just and effective transition. Both public and private sectors will need to evolve, with public administration acting as a catalyst and the private sector becoming more proactive and digitally equipped.
The second part of the workshop focused on exploring existing tools and technologies available today that could help realise the 2035 renovation vision. Participants shared that the cost of energy audits is expected to increase in the short term due to more in-depth and comprehensive analyses, but automation, the use of digital twins, and predictive tools could ultimately reduce the time and effort required, helping to stabilize costs over time. Regarding the building envelope, costs are anticipated to decrease as prefabricated modular components and circular materials become more widely adopted and produced at scale. In contrast, heating and cooling systems remain relatively expensive and difficult to apply in existing buildings, but advancements in hybrid systems, automation, and home energy optimisation could improve affordability and usability in the long run.
When it comes to renewable energy and storage systems, participants noted that while the cost of photovoltaic systems continues to decline, challenges related to space and raw material availability, especially under current geopolitical conditions—still need to be addressed. Regarding water use and ventilation technologies, according to the participants, are underutilised, and while their costs are currently high, systems such as rainwater harvesting, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, and improved filtration offer promising opportunities to improve efficiency and indoor air quality. Finally, external improvements tied to sustainability are likely to become more expensive due to ESG compliance and life cycle assessment requirements, though long-term value is expected through smart waste management, traceable sourcing, and nature-based solutions that enhance both environmental and functional performance.
The final and most crucial part of the session invited participants to imagine what a perfect BRP might look like for renovation projects. They envisioned a digital, user-friendly platform that provides differentiated access for professionals, citizens, and condominium administrators. The tool should include tailored renovation roadmaps, complete with detailed cost breakdowns, return-on-investment estimates, and forecasts of property value increases. Importantly, the roadmap should be able to incorporate both ordinary and extraordinary maintenance interventions, remain updateable over time, and reflect the user’s evolving needs and financial capacities.
To improve usability, participants highlighted the importance of clear visualisation tools, simple interfaces (e.g., checkboxes, timelines, and alerts), and filters that allow users to sort scenarios based on costs and objectives. They also agreed that professionals should play an active role in supporting users, providing diagnoses, and helping tailor solutions—particularly by integrating new interventions based on available budgets. Lastly, strong communication and awareness strategies are essential to ensure that the tool’s benefits are well understood, especially in light of data being explained in different steps to ensure that either professionals and owners can understand it and use it, and varying levels of digital readiness among potential users.
This workshop concluded the co-creation series held across the pilot countries. The next steps involve consolidating the insights gathered over the past nine months and sharing them with the consortium. Each pilot country will receive a tailored synthesis to ensure that their local ecosystem’s needs are addressed. Additionally, these results will be reviewed by the exploitation task leaders, who are responsible for shaping the future implementation strategy of the Building Renovation tool using the OCR matrix as a reference.
