When standard renovation is not enough: Barcelona’s complex-building approach

Some buildings cannot be effectively rehabilitated through conventional grant schemes alone. Fragmented ownership, vulnerable households, technical deficiencies, limited management capacity and wider neighbourhood challenges can combine to prevent renovation from taking place. Barcelona’s approach to complex buildings addresses these barriers through a more intensive model of public intervention, combining technical, social and financial support to make rehabilitation possible. This presentation will explore how public authorities can intervene when building renovation becomes not only a construction challenge, but also a question of governance, social support and long-term neighbourhood regeneration.