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Paper short abstract

Based on qualitative interviews with heritage authorities, energy consultants, and planners, this paper analyses energy retrofits of historic buildings as practices that connect repair and construction and shape both past and future.

Paper long abstract

Energy retrofits of historic buildings are often described either as conservation (repairing the past) or as sustainability measures (building the future). This paper argues that in practice, these activities are closely connected, particularly in the context of current sustainability and circularity agendas.

The analysis draws on qualitative interviews with heritage authorities, energy consultants, architects, and municipal planners. It examines how decisions are made in retrofit projects and how different professional perspectives influence these processes. Heritage authorities tend to focus on material continuity and reversibility, while engineering approaches emphasize energy performance and compliance with technical standards.

Energy retrofits work within existing material, legal, and cultural conditions. They do not begin from a blank state but adapt and transform what is already there. In this sense, construction appears as an incremental practice that often relies on repair. At the same time, repair activities contribute to shaping future building performance and long-term resource use.

By examining institutional and material frictions in retrofit projects, the paper shows how repair and construction are practically connected. It contributes to STS discussions on repair and maintenance by linking them to architectural and engineering practice. A better understanding of these connections can support collaboration in projects that aim to improve energy performance while maintaining historical fabric.