Serial Renovation: Proven and Ready for Complex Projects

When ecoworks first introduced serial renovation to Germany in 2019, many viewed the concept with skepticism. In the real estate and housing industries, it was often dismissed as "purely theoretical." Embracing this approach and actually implementing projects was a bold move for a select few.

Today, it’s an established method. Numerous projects, technical innovations, and startups in Germany and worldwide are fully committed to the idea of serial energy-efficient renovation. German property owners are increasingly relying on industrial prefabrication and modular on-site installation for energy-efficient renovations.

Interest in serial renovation has grown significantly in recent years. However, some myths and misconceptions persist. One common reservation is that serial renovation is only suitable for a limited number of "simple" building types. As a pioneer and innovation leader in serial energy-efficient renovation in Germany, ecoworks has a track record of successful projects and is here to debunk this and other misconceptions.

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Myth: Serial Renovation is Only Suitable for a Few Properties - Fact: It Can Now Be Applied to a Wide Range of Building Types

Even complex building shapes can undergo energy-efficient renovation using prefabricated facade elements. Early serial renovation projects were limited to two- to four-story buildings with simple designs. Thanks to technological advancements, various roof and facade designs can now be accommodated.

Even adding stories and working on buildings up to the high-rise limit of nine stories are no longer obstacles for the serial approach. ecoworks is developing new solutions to seamlessly integrate building technology into facades and create more complex facade structures.

These advancements make serial renovation increasingly flexible. ecoworks can already handle over 70% of renovation requests, a figure that will continue to grow in the coming months and years.

Serial renovation is particularly well-suited for specific building types characterized by high repetition and similar construction methods. Typical building types that can be serial renovated include:

• Apartment Buildings: Older apartment blocks and prefabricated buildings constructed in large numbers with a uniform structure are ideal.
• Townhouses: Often found in large developments with similar designs, these can be efficiently retrofitted with prefabricated elements.
• Residential Complexes and Neighborhoods: Larger residential areas consisting of many similar buildings benefit from faster construction times, consistent quality standards, and neighborhood revitalization.
• Public Housing: Suitable, especially if constructed in a standardized manner between the 1960s and 1980s.
• Non-Residential Buildings with Similar Structures: Administrative and office buildings, kindergartens, or schools built in a standardized manner similar to residential buildings can also be streamlined retrofitted.

Serial renovation is most effective for building types where standardized construction allows for high efficiency and quality. Today, the types of buildings suitable for serial renovation can no longer be defined generically. The market is continuously expanding. While only two- to three-story buildings with simple structures and no cantilevers were considered a few years ago, it’s now possible to renovate more complex buildings up to 72 feet (22 meters) tall and nine stories (the "high-rise limit"). Many projects have demonstrated that the cost advantages expected from serial planning and manufacturing are more significant for simpler buildings. However, even complex existing properties can undergo serial renovation using the ecoworks principle.

The following applies to all building types: Projects are particularly advantageous if they are sufficiently large, typically over 20 residential units, and have undergone little or no prior renovation. Additionally, the buildings should be easily accessible, with enough space for cranes and assembly platforms. Both flat and pitched roofs are suitable, which is often the case for buildings from the 1950s to 1980s.

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Myth: Serial Renovation is Too Expensive - Fact: Subsidized serial Renovation is Already at a Similar Level to Conventional Renovation

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Conventional renovation often consists of many individual measures pursued over a long period with moderate efficiency goals. Serial renovations, on the other hand, take a holistic approach (bundled measures) with shorter construction times and often more ambitious efficiency goals. Depending on the required depth of the renovation, the efficient building envelope and the generation of heat and electricity from renewable energies complement each other perfectly.

Due to cost reductions in recent years, the total costs of an industrially prefabricated project are currently only about ten to twenty percent higher than those of a conventional renovation. This gap is offset by federal and state subsidy programs, especially through the serial renovation bonus of fifteen percent. Considering additional factors, such as the option of renovation while occupied, energy cost savings, and the increase in asset value, serial renovation is already more than competitive. Furthermore, costs can be significantly reduced in follow-up projects with similar building types.

However, a crucial factor is still missing in the consideration of individual projects: the "serial" aspect. From just one serial pilot concept, many similar properties can be renovated in series with minor adjustments. This reduces planning costs, and prefabrication becomes more affordable with increasing quantities due to industrial cost degression.
serial renovation is often more affordable than you think because it leverages efficiency gains from digitization, prefabrication, and standardization:

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• Prefabrication: Manufacturing building elements like facades, windows, and insulation in a factory reduces costs. These prefabricated parts are quickly assembled on the construction site, shortening expensive construction time and reducing labor costs.
• Economies of Scale: serial renovation involves renovating similar building types with standardized solutions. This repeatability enables production in large quantities, reducing the cost per unit.
• Fewer Workers: The use of prefabricated building elements and automated processes reduces the need for workers on the construction site. This is a cost advantage, especially during skilled labor shortages.
• Shorter Construction Times: The rapid assembly of prefabricated elements significantly shortens construction times, minimizing the costs of interim financing, rents, and resident accommodations.
• Reduced Risk and Rework: Precise manufacturing in controlled environments (like factories) reduces errors and the need for costly rework, lowering overall costs.
• Efficiency Through Digitization: The use of digital planning and automation technologies optimizes the entire renovation process, saves resources, and minimizes waste.

These factors often make the overall costs of serial renovation lower than conventional methods, making it an economically attractive option.

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Myth: Serial Renovated Buildings All Look the Same! - Fact: Individuality is Key

The aesthetics of the 1950s to 1980s are certainly debatable. However, the architecture of buildings is naturally preserved even after extensive renovation measures. So, what is a reasonable expectation for serial renovation here?

Unfortunately, it’s still rare for a design-focused approach to be implemented in conventional existing building renovations. Even in newly renovated developments, you often see thermal insulation composite systems and plaster facades. However, renovation of the exterior facade is the perfect opportunity to bring your properties architecturally into the modern era. Thanks to extensive sampling catalogs, the ecoworks Configurator (similar to what you'd find in the automotive industry), and a wide selection of colors and materials, creating an individual exterior appearance is straightforward – despite serial manufacturing. The serial renovation method, which integrates a highly developed design concept, can achieve a significantly higher aesthetic standard. This is evident in the very different designs of our completed, ongoing, and planned projects – no two properties are alike. Every building has its own history and deserves its own design.

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Myth: Renovation to a Specific Energy Efficiency Level Isn't Worth It! - Fact: ecoworks' Individual Renovation Concept Calculates All Alternatives

The paths to decarbonization are as diverse as German real estate holdings. Each company strives to choose the most suitable strategy for renovating its portfolio. Ultimately, a central goal often remains: to successfully transform their buildings to be low-temperature ready.
Achieving this transformation is absolutely no problem with a serial approach. Through a collaborative exchange about goals, desires, and obstacles, an optimum of energy efficiency and construction costs can be developed for every need. With a thorough knowledge of the subsidy landscape and ecoworks' own subsidy advisors, even higher efficiency classes can often be achieved than previously thought! For example, the loan repayment grant for serial renovated buildings is a maximum of 40 percent, while for conventionally renovated buildings it’s only ten percent. So, it comes down to the right assessment and optimal advice.

The path to climate neutrality is difficult to finance across almost all housing companies – but affordable climate neutrality is possible through a smart, scalable approach like the serial renovation of Worst Performing Buildings (WPB).

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Myth: Serial Renovation is Only Worthwhile if No Other Renovation Measures Have Been Taken on the Property! - Fact: This is Only the Case for Properties That Have Already Been Extensively Renovated

ecoworks' serial renovation is a concept that encompasses several trades. Typically, the building envelope, basement, and roof are renewed, PV systems and heat pumps are installed, and stories may be added or balconies attached. However, this doesn’t mean that this approach is only suitable for buildings that have been completely unrenovated.

ecoworks' serial renovation process primarily targets inefficient buildings with the greatest need for renovation (Worst Performing Buildings). What sounds like a small number of buildings actually corresponds to around 46 percent of apartment buildings in Germany. If smaller measures have already been carried out, these can be taken into account from the outset and incorporated into the renovation concepts to be created. Extensive prefabrication of entire building envelopes from the factory is only unnecessary for almost completely renovated buildings.

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Myth: The Maintenance Effort for the Facade Elements is Too High! - Fact: ecoworks' Energy-Efficient Facades are Weather-Resistant and Durable Thanks to Innovative and Sustainable Building Materials

There are widespread reservations about building facades made of real wood, which can indeed turn gray over time. However, serial, factory-prefabricated, and energy-efficient facades from ecoworks can be made from a variety of very durable materials and combinations thereof.

Well-seasoned wood offers many ecological advantages and – with a conscious graying finish – also very elegant design possibilities. Fiber cement, in turn, can be used in various structures and colors and exhibits high weather and light resistance over many decades. A third option is thin brick slips, which can be used to create brick looks, for example. The possibilities are diverse with serial energy-efficient renovation by ecoworks.

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ecoworks Fact Check Conclusion: Serial Renovation is Already the Affordable and Sustainable Present of Climate-Neutral Building Modernization

Serial renovation has evolved from a bold vision to an established method – and for good reason. It’s not only an answer to the pressing challenges facing the real estate and housing industries but also a key instrument for a sustainable, climate-neutral future.

The most persistent misconceptions have already proven to be outdated: serial renovation is versatile, economically competitive, and design-flexible. Thanks to technological innovations, a wide variety of building types can now be efficiently modernized – from classic apartment buildings to more complex structures. In terms of cost-effectiveness, serial energy-efficient renovation is already on par with conventional renovation, especially through subsidies and economies of scale. Furthermore, ecoworks proves that serial renovated buildings don’t have to look uniform but are visually appealing through individual design solutions.

The future of construction lies not in demolition and new construction but in the intelligent modernization of existing buildings. With serial renovation, ecoworks offers a fast, resource-saving, and economical solution to bring buildings up to new construction energy standards. This makes it not only suitable for "simple" building types but also an essential component for the widespread decarbonization of the real estate industry.

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Learn more? Then simply make a non-binding appointment for information and advice at www.ecoworks.tech/beratung

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