Reflections on the Art and Responsibility of Re-Designing Our Built Environment by Yann Defrance
Renovation is a word that often carries the idea of cosmetic refresh: a new façade, updated finishes, or the replacement of outdated systems. But in the context of sustainability and decarbonization, renovating well is not simply about repair or modernization. It is about catching up on missed opportunities, rectifying design errors, and integrating the ecological wisdom that past codes and practices ignored.
To renovate well is to re-adapt a building so that it meets today’s expectations without compromising tomorrow’s needs. It is to reinterpret the built environment through the lens of culture, climate, and ecological responsibility.
And importantly: this is not only an issue of buildings from the 1960s or the 1980s. Even projects delivered less than ten years ago — and sometimes those still under construction — often reveal shortcomings that demand correction.
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Renovation as Rectification
When we talk about renovation, we must acknowledge the inheritance of design flaws. Many buildings were constructed under codes that paid little attention to energy efficiency or thermal comfort. Cultural considerations of eco-design were absent. The result is an immense building stock that, despite being “functional,” often fails its users and its environment.
But even in recent projects, budget constraints and short-term priorities regularly override ecological logic. This is a recurring reality for engineers in energy efficiency and eco-design: being invited into the conversation but rarely empowered to influence the final decisions.
I have lived this tension many times. My analyses were heard, my simulations considered, yet my recommendations too often set aside in favor of cost savings. And in those decisions lies a paradox: the supposed savings of today quickly transform into the higher costs of tomorrow.
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A Case That Speaks Volumes
One of the projects that marked me most deeply was the renovation of an old clinic into office space in the center of a major city.
In the early design stage, I recommended solar protections to prevent overheating in summer. They were designed, dimensioned, and costed. But in the final stretch of decision-making, they were removed “for budgetary reasons.”
The first summer arrived. The offices overheated. Complaints flooded in. Productivity dropped. Comfort was compromised. The building, although newly refurbished, was failing its users.
The result? We had to redo the studies, resize the protections, and carry out the works after all. The client ended up paying twice: once for the “savings” that never really saved, and again to correct the mistake.
This example illustrates a wider truth: to renovate well is not to spend less upfront, but to invest wisely from the beginning.
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Engineers Between Vision and Constraint
The role of an engineer in eco-design is often a paradoxical one. On the one hand, we are trained to anticipate performance issues, to run dynamic simulations, to model energy flows, and to quantify risks before they materialize. On the other hand, we are rarely at the table when final cost allocations are made.
We battle, sometimes stubbornly, against architectural inertia or managerial pragmatism. We insist on long-term comfort when budgets are written in short-term logic. We raise red flags where others see only line items.
And yet, this resistance is not negative. It is essential. Without engineers willing to insist, many of the most damaging design errors would go unnoticed until they became irreversible.
Renovating well, therefore, is not just a technical act. It is also an act of courage. To insist when it is easier to remain silent. To point out flaws when it would be more comfortable to conform. Those who take that stance — the “whistleblowers” of building performance — deserve recognition.
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Beyond Blame: Shared Responsibility
It is tempting to assign blame — to architects who prioritize aesthetics, to project managers who prioritize deadlines, or to clients who prioritize cost savings. But the truth is that renovation failures are systemic, not individual.
Building is always a compromise between multiple forces:
• Design vision versus functional performance
• Capital expenditure versus operational expenditure
• Short-term deliverables versus long-term resilience
What matters is not to assign guilt but to redefine what success looks like.
For too long, a “successful” project has meant delivering on time and within budget. But in the era of climate crisis and rising energy costs, success must be redefined:
• Did the building reduce its carbon footprint?
• Did it enhance comfort and productivity for occupants?
• Did it anticipate future climate stresses?
• Did it avoid costly retrofits by integrating sustainability from the start?
If the answer is no, then the project may be considered complete, but it has not been completed well.
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Renovating for the Present and the Future
Good renovation is an art of balance. It respects heritage while correcting its flaws. It embraces today’s technologies while preparing for tomorrow’s uncertainties. It navigates the friction between immediate constraints and future responsibilities.
At BAARCH, we believe that renovating well means embedding sustainability into every project phase:
• Passive and low-energy design strategies
• Daylighting and energy modeling
• Indoor air quality and thermal comfort
• Sustainable water and material use
• Lifecycle cost and carbon analysis
These are not “extras.” They are the very criteria that determine whether a renovation is truly successful.
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Courage and Consideration
The hardest part of this journey is cultural, not technical. Engineers often feel “heard but not considered.” Their analyses are acknowledged but rarely decisive.
To change this requires courage from all sides:
• Clients willing to see beyond immediate costs.
• Architects willing to integrate technical constraints as part of their design language.
• Project managers willing to defend sustainability in the face of financial pressure.
• Engineers willing to continue raising their voices, even when ignored.
Renovating well, then, is not only about insulation, shading, or HVAC optimization. It is about cultivating a culture of ecological responsibility in which each actor — from developer to tenant — plays their part.
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Conclusion: The Renovation We Need
So, what does it mean to renovate well?
It means to repair past mistakes without repeating them.
It means to design with humility, recognizing that codes are not perfect and that climate realities are changing.
It means to invest now for savings later, rather than chasing short-term illusions.
It means to listen — and truly consider — the expertise of engineers and sustainability specialists.
Above all, to renovate well is to understand that a building is not a fixed object but a living system. One that must evolve with its users, its climate, and its cultural context.
Those who raise their voice, who insist on better, who battle for eco-design even when unpopular — they are not obstacles to progress. They are its guardians.
And in the end, renovating well is not about perfection. It is about responsibility.