Investigations on the retrofitting strategies coupling multiple targets on heritage dwellings located in Suzhou

Suzhou city is one of the national historical and cultural cities in China. There is a huge stock of heritage buildings built about 200 years ago. Heritage buildings, imbued with historical and cultural significance, pose unique challenges when it comes to retrofitting for modern energy efficiency and thermal comfort standards. The retrofit is essential for heritage conservation. However, the energy retrofit on the heritage dwelling without impacting on their characteristics, especially appearance, presents a major challenge for architects and policymaker. This research paper presents a comprehensive investigation into retrofitting strategies for heritage dwellings in Suzhou. The study prioritises retrofitting strategies that simultaneously address the multi-faceted goals of thermal comfort enhancement and energy consumption reduction. The research focuses on the imperative to reconcile heritage conservation with contemporary sustainability demands. The paper begins by demonstrating the measurements process on the thermal properties and potential retrofit strategies of heritage buildings. Then, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) model would be implemented to evaluate the adaptability of potential retrofit strategies and select the strategies that preserves the uniqueness of historic building. After that, the selected strategies could be fully combined to form various scenarios, and the energy simulation for various scenarios would be carried out. The combination with least energy consumption is obtained. Finally, TOPSIS is employed to assess the performance of selected strategies across multiple criteria. This study contributes to the research on heritage building retrofitting, offering a systematic and integrated approach that can guide decision-makers, architects, and preservationists in safeguarding our architectural heritage while meeting the demands of the modern era.