of the EU’s total energy consumption comes from buildings.
Transforming building
renovation through circular,
tech-enabled prefabricated
retrofits across Europe
SPHEERE revolutionizes building retrofits
by combining digital prefabrication
and circular design to deliver fast, scalable,
and high-performance energy renovations
that drive Europe’s climate resilience
Across Europe, an ageing and inefficient building stock is driving high energy use, carbon emissions, and energy poverty. At the same time, renovation remains too slow, creating an urgent need for faster, scalable, and more affordable solutions.
of the EU’s energy-related greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings.
of the EU building stock has poor energy performance.
of the EU population could not keep their home adequately warm in 2024.
Redefining Building
Renovation in Europe
SPHEERE is accelerating Europe’s transition to a climate-neutral built environment by redefining how buildings are renovated. Through a digitally enabled, prefabricated, and multi-functional renovation approach, the project transforms complex retrofit processes into fast, cost-effective, and minimally disruptive interventions.
Its implementation will make high-quality, energy efficient renovation scalable across diverse building types and climate contexts, directly contributing to Europe’s climate, energy and social resilience objectives.
Mission
To support local authorities in accelerating the transition to a climate-neutral built environment through scalable, adaptable, and replicable renovation solutions aligned with EU climate and urban policy objectives.
Objective
SPHEERE helps public authorities renovate buildings at scale through digital planning, prefabricated solutions and circular design. Its adaptable model reduces energy demand, emissions, costs, delivery time and on-site disruption across different building types, urban contexts and climates.
Buildings account for a significant share of Europe’s energy consumption and emissions. SPHEERE supports public authorities in delivering large-scale renovation strategies through integrated technologies, industrialised construction methods and digital innovation, helping create healthier and more resilient cities.
Visit our demo sitesHow SPHEERE works
SPHEERE brings together industrialised renovation, digital coordination, and rapid on-site delivery into a scalable model for upgrading buildings across Europe.
1 | Industrial Design
Standardised and adaptable retrofit solutions are developed to respond to different building typologies and climate conditions.
2 | Digital and Industrial Integration
Design, manufacturing, and installation planning are coordinated through a shared digital workflow.
3 | Off-site Prefabrication
High-performance building elements are manufactured off-site to improve quality, efficiency, and consistency.
4 | Fast, Low-Impact Installation
Prefabricated components are installed quickly on site, reducing disruption for occupants and surrounding communities.
5 | Monitoring and Circular Lifecycle
Building performance is monitored over time, with circularity and lifecycle considerations integrated from deployment to end of life.
Impact
According to a quite conservative estimation, 1% of the project’s addressable building stock — corresponding to approximately 3,770,000 m² per year — will adopt SPHEERE.
In terms of number of buildings, SPHEERE is expected to be adopted each year by about 34,000 apartments and 1,800 tertiary buildings.
Building a resilient, climate-neutral Europe by connecting policy and innovation, transforming buildings into smart and decarbonized hubs, and creating sustainable, inclusive environments where people and communities can thrive.
Partners
Coordinated by POLITECNICO DI MILANO
