Assessing Residents’ Perception of Noise and Dust Production during Building Facades’ Retrofit Using Traditional and Prefabricated Technologies

Offsite prefabrication for building retrofits can offer advantages in terms of construction time reduction. This study examines noise and dust production during the energy retrofit of residential building facades, comparing traditional External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS) with the installation of prefabricated wooden facade panels, both applied to different portions of a building located in Povo (Trento, Italy). Interviews with residents, complemented by on-site acoustic monitoring, revealed that noise levels during the installation of prefabricated facade panels were not perceived as significantly lower (-30%) compared to those generated during ETICS thermal insulation; in fact, they were reported as more disruptive, a finding confirmed by sound pressure level measurements. Conversely, all respondents agreed that dust production during the installation of the prefabricated system was significantly lower (-30%) than during the ETICS facade insulation process. Despite the limitations of the assessment methodology employed, this study highlights the importance of a mixed-method approach in evaluating the impact of construction activities, combining instrumental measurements with self-reports from residents.