The goal of the project FEDER ‘Living Labs Brussels Retrofit’ is to promote the renovation of Brussels housing by creating privileged spaces destined for experimentation and innovation: the living labs. During four years, these pilot projects will allow the development of know-how and an improvement of the cooperation with the construction sector, resulting in the arrival of a volume market for eco-energetic renovations.

The project consists of an accompanying structure that is in charge of the framework and support of the living labs. A living lab is a project oriented towards the final user, regrouping multiple actors. These actors often have different disciplines.  In this project, industrials cope with academics, users and governments. Most of the views assure important dynamics within the framework of the project and will make sure that every partner is involved in the most suitable way.

The goal of each living lab is to respond to the challenges of the energetic renovation of Brussels housing: energy, business models, optimisation of costs, accessibility of housing, sustainable construction, organisation of work in an urban context, minimisation of impact, behaviour and heritage. Innovative techniques and procedures will be implicated in real renovation projects in the residential sector and by actors of the construction sector. Tested and improved following the projects, these techniques and procedures could then be implemented on a larger scale in order to offer accessible solutions for renovations in the Brussels Capital Region, both for the private sector as well as for social housing. This will also allow the improvement of the cooperation between the construction sector and the research organisations.

The accompanying structure has different missions. This structure is responsible for the launching of the project call and the support of the living labs. It will also control the quality, the monitoring and the diffusion of the scientific results, and the mobilisation and communication towards the construction sector.