NEB-2026-01-PARTICIPATION-02 WLCA & retrofitting houses

We are seeking research and innovation partners to collaborate on an interdisciplinary initiative integrating whole-life carbon assessment, indoor air quality, and health-oriented design into low-carbon building and renovation strategies, in partnership with Equinox International Ltd.. A key objective of the initiative is to improve housing conditions in socially sensitive and underserved regions, ensuring that high-quality, healthy renovations are accessible and affordable for vulnerable households.

The collaboration builds on Equinox’s ongoing Kádár Cube House Retrofit Project. Kádár cube houses are a widespread Hungarian single-family housing typology from the 1960s–1980s, characterised by compact square layouts, pitched roofs, and simple construction systems. These buildings form a significant share of Central and Eastern Europe’s residential stock and present major challenges related to energy efficiency, ventilation, moisture control, and indoor air quality.

The project investigates how this housing type can be upgraded to meet contemporary climate, comfort, and health standards through integrated architectural, technological, and sustainability-based solutions. Special attention is given to ventilation strategies, moisture management, daylight access, and pollutant control in highly insulated retrofit scenarios.

We are particularly interested in partners for:

• Integrating whole-life carbon assessment (WLCA) with indoor air quality and hygrothermal performance in design workflows

• Optimising timber and hybrid construction systems for healthy, low-carbon new-build and retrofit projects

• Developing design tools and guidelines addressing ventilation, moisture, and pollutant control

• Applied research combining monitoring data, digital simulation, and real project evaluation

• Supporting compliance with emerging EPBD, CSRD, and EU Taxonomy requirements

This collaboration aims to generate transferable, evidence-based methodologies that support architects, developers, and policymakers in delivering climate-neutral, healthy, and resilient residential buildings. We welcome cooperation with universities, research institutes, public authorities, material and technology providers, and innovation-oriented SMEs committed to advancing sustainable and human-centred construction within the Horizon Europe and New European Bauhaus framework.