The Greek demo site of the REHOUSE project is located at the student dormitory of the Democritus University of Thrace in Kimmeria, Xanthi, where an existing residential building is being transformed into a lowcarbon, energyefficient living space. Through a modular, prefabricated building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) façade combined with onsite battery storage and smart energy management, the site demonstrates how practical decarbonisation can be achieved with minimal disruption to everyday life.
On 27/02/2026, a workshop was held at the premises of the Department of Production and Management Engineering of the Democritus University of Thrace, focusing on the renovation works carried out within the framework of the project in Building C2 of the student dormitories at the Kimmeria campus. The audience consisted of students of the Department (primarily from the 3rd and 4th year of study) as well as representatives of the University’s Technical Services.
During the presentation, Professor P. Botsaris had the opportunity to provide a comprehensive overview of all the interventions implemented, along with the challenges and obstacles encountered throughout their execution.
Participants were given the opportunity not only to be informed about the project but also to raise questions regarding various technical aspects of the interventions. Through an interactive discussion, the extent to which these interventions are perceived by the room occupants was explored, as 2–3 residents of Building C2 were also present among the audience. The total duration of the presentation was around 2 hours.
Background of the project
Kimmeria, Xanthi is one of four REHOUSE demo sites across Greece, Italy, France, and Hungary that are validating eight integrated renovation packages, from adaptable envelopes to “SmartWall” systems, with the goal of faster, more scalable deep renovation.
Picture credits: Democritus University of Thrace
Author: Paraskevi Dimitriadou, DUTh
