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Zaragoza is a city, located in the autonomous community of Aragon in Northern Spain. The city centre has a population of approximately 691,037 people and covers an area of 973.8Km2. The city of Zaragoza has a rich cultural history famous for its folklore, local cuisine, and landmarks.
Within the DECUB Project The Urban Living Lab (ULL) of Zaragoza focuses on the city’s commitment to sustainable urban transformation, energy efficiency, and circular economy principles. Zaragoza is one of the European Net Zero Cities Mission participants, aiming for climate neutrality by 2030. It is also one of the five Spanish cities to receive the Mission Label, recognizing the quality and feasibility of its climate action plans.
Zaragoza Vivienda (ZVIV), the city’s municipal housing company, plays a key role in retrofitting Zaragoza’s most energy-inefficient building stock. Since 2019, it has managed over 29 million euros in residential retrofitting aid, benefiting 343 buildings and 6,488 private homes, generating a total investment of 64 million euros and creating approximately 110 sector-related jobs.
Two key case studies will contribute to testing and validating the DECUB framework in different ways:
Emmeline de Pankhurst Buildings
Completed in 2023, this intervention targeted 288 social rented housing units in two phases (168 in the first stage, 128 in the second), with a total investment of €4.2 million. The focus was on reducing energy demand through:
- External thermal insulation system
- Replacement of external carpentries
- Roof and basement insulation
- LED lighting system improvement
Post-performance monitoring shows a 90% improvement in tenants’ winter comfort. As a completed and successful intervention, this case study serves as a benchmark for evaluating the DECUB framework’s impact. It provides before-and-after data, allowing comparisons with DECUB’s proposed methodologies to assess how alternative circular approaches might have influenced the outcomes.
Pedro Saputo Building
This upcoming retrofitting project will renovate two twin residential blocks, each with 96 social rented housing units (192 dwellings in total). A key challenge is that the buildings will remain fully occupied during the works. The intervention includes:
- Thermal envelope refurbishment
- Lift replacement and accessibility improvements
- Enhanced lighting system
- Preparatory work for future centralization of domestic hot water and heating
Since the intervention is still at the project planning stage, there is no possibility to directly apply DECUB’s conclusions in the physical renovation. However, this case study provides an opportunity to develop a detailed Digital Twin, using the project’s extensive technical data to simulate and evaluate the application of DECUB’s circular urban economy framework. This will help in assessing the feasibility and potential impact of the framework for future interventions.
DECUB’s added value for Zaragoza Vivienda
Integrating the DECUB framework into ZVIV’s urban regeneration strategy would enable a data-driven approach to circular building renovation. Through these case studies, ZVIV can:
- Validate circular economy principles by comparing real-world retrofitting data with DECUB methodologies.
- Leverage Digital Twin technology to simulate and test circular renovation strategies before real-world implementation.
- Improve long-term planning by incorporating lifecycle analysis and resource efficiency into future retrofitting projects.
- Enhance decision-making with structured insights on energy performance, material reuse, and environmental impact.
By adopting DECUB’s principles, Zaragoza strengthens its position as a pioneer in sustainable urban regeneration, setting a replicable model for European climate-neutral cities.