Integrating life cycle thinking in structural design for historic building retrofit: A multi-criteria decision analysis approach

Designing structural retrofitting solutions for historic buildings is a challenging process that requires a comprehensive decision-making approach, considering the entire life cycle of the intervention. This study proposes and evaluates a long-term multi-criteria decision support tool tailored for refurbishment strategies, integrating an eco-design perspective within a Life Cycle Thinking framework. Through a detailed analysis of a selected case study building, three strengthening interventions—two using timber and one based on concrete—are assessed with the ELECTRE-based method, a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) method. The evaluation considers economic, architectural, environmental, and structural factors, examining their impact in the present, medium, and long term. The results highlight how the rehabilitation of existing buildings, and particularly the structural design requirements for retrofit, can be optimized by balancing technical performance with broader economic, architectural and environmental concerns, ensuring that long-term effects are incorporated into the decision-making process.