Affordable, decent housing is a fundamental human right, says the European Parliament. That is why, as early as 2021, the Brussels politicians requested all member states to take measures against the raging housing shortage. Since 2022, Ukrainian refugees have also been seeking accommodation in many European countries.
 
This is one of the reasons why the Netherlands presented an action plan in January 2023. By 2030, 900,000 housing units should be created via a housing construction program. In Germany, the government plans to build 400,000 units. In Switzerland, too, the shortage of rental housing continues to increase, mainly due to the decline in construction activity. Similar news come from Italy and Spain. In many regions of Europe there is not only a shortage of building materials due to delivery problems; often there is also a lack of craftsmen. This is driving up construction costs at a time when housing is scarce.
 
Great potential for renovation projects
 
Space for housing is not only created by new buildings. About 80 percent of the old buildings in the European Union were built before the year 2000. This offers enormous potential for the conversion and simultaneous energy refurbishment of outdated properties.

Example: Water tower in Poland

For example, the water tower of Zabrze in Poland, built in 1909. The workers once lived in it. Their quarters looked like tiny tenement houses latched between the supports of the brick colossus. But almost a quarter of a century of vacancy left the beautiful tower in a desolate state. The renovation and refurbishment in 2020 became a real challenge for the construction team. Not only because of the shape of the tower. Eight brick columns support a dome-shaped tank with a capacity of 2,000 cubic meters of water. But also, because the exterior of the historically classified building was not allowed to be changed during the renovation into a museum with living and office space. So, the necessary insulation had to be done from the inside with Multipor technology.
 
Marek Brodnicki, consultant at Xella Polska in Upper Silesia, explains how this worked. "The local restorers had already good experience with our technology during the thermal modernization of the bathrooms and engine room of the former Duchess Louise of Prussia. They therefore used our Multipor boards for the water tower. They are completely steam permeable and non-flammable. Thus, they offer the users and residents the necessary safety," the expert reports. Before the modernization, the walls were first analyzed for heat and moisture. Finally, 16-centimetre-thick Multipor boards were selected. "The decision to use Multipor was not only based on its excellent thermal insulation properties. The boards are also easy to install and can be easily cut to fit complex wall shapes," says Marek Brodnicki.

Example: Old paint factory in Germany

Architects in Frankfurt created new living space in a more classical way. They renovated an old paint factory. In the process, they also transformed the once damp basement into new living space. The challenge was the moisture in the exterior walls and the concern that they might also be contaminated with salts. These substances usually originate from salt-contaminated building ground and creep into the masonry together with the rising damp.
 
In Frankfurt, ExSal Therm boards from Multipor solved the problem: this insulation could be applied from the inside and even directly to the wall. The material is open to diffusion and capillary active because it consists of 90 percent pores. Then the moisture evaporates on the surface of the boards and the salts are deposited in the pores in the long term.

At the same time, the desalination panels have excellent thermal insulation properties and increase the fire protection of the building. In addition, the recyclable material is free of pollutants and evaporating substances.
"The newly developed ExSal Therm panels were used here for the first time," says Jan Lüthje, area manager at Xella. "The processing company was thrilled at how easy it was to use the material." And that it was available at all: other insulation material manufacturers had turned down for the complex project.
 

Example: Social housing in France

Private individuals are not the only ones refurbishing their homes to create new housing. European governments are also trying to create cost-efficient and solid housing on a large scale. This is the case in France. There, in the Baltiss district of Voiron, 140 social housing units had to be renovated from the bottom up. Energy efficiency was particularly important. In the city, about 70 percent of the inhabitants are entitled to social housing with acceptable utility costs.
 
Therefore, the building was given an insulating shell. A total of 2,000 square meters of facade walls were upgraded with the help of Ytong Verti 20 and Ytong Compact 15. Xavier Rémy, the developer's refurbishment officer, explains: "In Baltiss, the choice of materials was particularly important because it allows the houses to be designated as low-energy buildings. I think autoclaved aerated concrete is a material that needs to be reused for other projects."

Example: Fire protection

However, renovation is not only about energy efficiency. Those who want to improve the building substance for decades to come do not disregard the far advanced methods that are now available to increase fire protection. At the same time, Ytong blocks can be installed very quickly and easily even in the renovation of old industrial buildings. They keep then mainly the old steel structure to bring to the future building an industrial flavor that is highly appreciated. Ytong, when you have to fill-in an existing old structure, is then highly appreciated as a light and fire resistant material.

Such material must fulfill high demands. It must prevent the spread of flames long enough for human lives to be saved. AAC provides the right solutions for this. For example, Ytong Gigablocs and Ytong Compact 20 blocks are incombustible thanks to their mineral structure and offer excellent fire resistance. Their melting point is around 1200 ° C, and Ytong does not release any toxic gases or vapours in the event of a fire. Because the material does not deform, flames or smoke cannot spread. Therefore, there can also be no vents that could let in fresh oxygen. Although Ytong Gigablocs require the use of machinery, they are easier to handle than the much heavier concrete.
 

Renovation of grain silos and churches
 
But Xella products are not only used to renovate and refurbish living space. Where high-quality material meets innovative architects and courageous developers, not only new living space is created, but real architectural art. For example, when an old grain silo in Kristiansand/Norway is turned into a modern museum, or when in Breda in the Netherlands the Heilig Hartkerk church with its vaults, arches and seven-meter-high outer walls is transformed into fascinating flats.