A multi-life cycle assessment of external wall insulation strategies in an Irish domestic retrofit

Author's Biography

Sara Carrigan is an accomplished RIAI registered architect with over 15 years’ professional experience both in Ireland and internationally. She has recently completed an MSc in building performance at Technical University Dublin (TU Dublin), specialising in life cycle assessment (LCA) and circularity, graduating with first-class honours. In recognition of her academic achievements, Sara received the Sir Richard Morrison Student Excellence Award for 2021/22 and contributed as a speaker at the TU Dublin Building Symposium that same year. Following completion of her MSc, Sara has been a guest speaker on the topics of LCA and circularity. She has presented to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (March 2024), at the launch of the Empirical Journal 2022–2024 by TU Dublin (June 2024) and to the Irish Green Building Council (July 2024). Currently based in Dublin, Sara is a project manager for an innovative retrofit pilot scheme for older homeowners with Ava Housing. She has also contributed to the Dublin City Council research project ‘Built to Last – Exploring Renovations of Historic Dublin Dwellings’, where she presented her LCA findings on a case study during the launch of their web platform in March 2023. Before her recent focus on residential retrofits, Sara successfully delivered a variety of projects across education, healthcare and residential sectors. Notable projects include the University College Dublin (UCD) Health Sciences Centre and the UCD Belfield Bowl Pavilion, which earned several architecture awards between 2006 and 2008.

Patrick Daly is a leading Irish consultant, academic and researcher involved in the field of sustainability in the built environment for some 20 years. He is currently a full-time lecturer– researcher at the School of Architecture, Buildings and Environment (SABE) at the Technological University of Dublin (TU Dublin) where he is a lead lecturer on the MSc in energy efficiency design – building performance, lecturing in policy, building regulations, building energy assessment and dynamic simulation, environmental building materials, circularity, research methods and thesis co-ordination and supervision. Patrick is also currently researching in circularity under the Drive 0 project and technical adviser on the EPA Circular Built Environment road map, on hemp lime application in Irish timber frame construction, and on agri-crops to biobased construction. Patrick has a background in architectural technology and project management and design technology, with Master’s qualifications in architecture/environmental studies and in research methods and sustainability. He designed and built Ireland’s first net zero energy house and is a specialist in energy efficiency building design and environmental construction materials. He has worked on various European Union (EU)-funded research projects including STRIVE (EPA-funded study into hemp lime as a potential construction material in Ireland), CONCERTO (technical adviser and consultant to the Irish energy authority on the HOLISTIC Dundalk 2020 Sustainable Energy Zone), IEE (Bioregions — toward developing a sustainable bioregion and sector in the midlands of Ireland), FP7 (Rockwood — promoting sustainable development of SRC in Ireland) and H2020 (Drive 0 — demonstration low-carbon deep energy retrofit via modular circular solutions).

Alberta Congeduti is a physicist with a PhD in material science, MIOA and Passive House certificate. She is an environmental consultant and has over 20 years’ experience as a lecturer, researcher and tutor in several institutes in Europe, including Technological University (TU) Dublin and University College Dublin (UCD) (Ireland), Institute of Acoustics (IOA) (UK), Synchrotron Soleil, Universités de Paris V, VI and XI (France), Università la Sapienza and Roma Tre (Italy). She has lectured in environmental impact and sustainability, architectural environment, acoustics, physics, environmental science, life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC). At TU Dublin she has pioneered with the students a practical technique for the physical perception of the architectural environment. She lectures at present in TU Dublin and also works for the Italian Fondazione Ecosistemi, for which she assesses environmental impacts and costs/benefits of green procurement, provides guidance and training in sustainability for Italian government bodies and other public and private organisations. She is involved in several European projects and networks with a wide sustainability focus, including Procura+, School Food 4 Change, (E)mission (Im)possible, Buy Better Food. She has realised a low-carbon retrofit of a Dublin Victorian house as well as several building acoustics projects in Dublin and Paris.