ARCH · Project

Climate Risk Management Platform for Cities Protecting Historic Buildings and Districts

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Imagine you run a city with beautiful old buildings — a medieval church, a historic downtown — and you're worried about floods, heatwaves, or earthquakes damaging them. ARCH built a digital toolkit that lets city officials see exactly which historic spots are most vulnerable, simulate what would happen in a disaster, and plan the smartest way to protect them. They tested it in 4 real European cities including Hamburg and Valencia. Think of it as a weather-and-disaster early warning system, but specifically designed for the irreplaceable old parts of town.

By the numbers

Pilot cities tested (Bratislava, Camerino, Hamburg, Valencia)

Consortium partners

Countries represented in consortium

Total project deliverables produced

Integrated software subsystems demonstrated

The business problem

What needed solving

Historic cities across Europe face accelerating damage to irreplaceable buildings and districts from floods, heatwaves, earthquakes, and other climate-driven hazards. Municipal officials lack integrated tools to assess which heritage assets are most at risk, simulate disaster scenarios, and plan protection measures with limited budgets. Without systematic approaches, cities react to disasters after the damage is done rather than preventing it.

The solution

What was built

ARCH built and integrated 5 core software subsystems: a sensor data repository for monitoring heritage conditions, a Historic Area Information System (HArIS) for georeferenced property data, a Threats and Hazard Information System (THIS) for tracking dangers, a Knowledge Information Management System for decision support, and an overarching disaster risk management platform combining all components. All were formally validated and tested in 4 pilot cities.

Audience

Who needs this

Municipal heritage and urban planning departments in cities with UNESCO or nationally protected historic districtsProperty and catastrophe insurers covering heritage buildings and historic areasConservation and structural engineering firms bidding on climate adaptation projectsNational cultural heritage agencies responsible for protecting historic sitesClimate adaptation consultancies advising cities on resilience planning

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Municipal heritage management

enterprise

Target: City councils and municipal heritage departments managing historic districts

If you are a city heritage department dealing with rising flood risk or extreme heat threatening your historic district — this project developed an integrated disaster risk management platform tested in 4 pilot cities (Bratislava, Camerino, Hamburg, Valencia) that combines sensor data, hazard simulation, and decision support so you can prioritize which buildings to protect first and plan cost-effective interventions.

Insurance and risk assessment

enterprise

Target: Property insurers and catastrophe risk modelers covering heritage buildings

If you are an insurer struggling to price climate risk for historic properties — this project built a vulnerability assessment methodology and hazard simulation tools across 30 deliverables that can model what-if disaster scenarios for entire historic areas. This means more accurate risk profiles and fewer surprise losses from climate events hitting irreplaceable structures.

Conservation engineering

SME

Target: Structural engineering and conservation firms specializing in heritage buildings

If you are a conservation engineering firm asked to climate-proof a historic district but lack standardized methods — this project produced pre-standardisation materials through DIN (a European Standardisation partner in the 16-partner consortium) plus an inventory of resilience-enhancing and reconstruction measures assessed for performance, giving you a systematic playbook to bid on and deliver these projects.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt this platform?

The project data does not include pricing or licensing costs. The platform was developed as a research output by a Fraunhofer-led consortium. Interested parties should contact the coordinator to discuss access terms, as commercialization details are not publicly available.

Can this scale to cover an entire city or region, not just individual buildings?

Yes — ARCH was explicitly designed for large historic areas, not just single buildings. The Historic Area Information System (HArIS) manages georeferenced data at the district level, and the platform was validated across 4 pilot cities in 4 different countries with different climate risks.

Who owns the IP and how is the technology licensed?

The project was funded as an RIA (Research and Innovation Action) under Horizon 2020, coordinated by Fraunhofer. IP ownership typically follows the EU grant agreement where each partner retains IP on their contributions. Contact the coordinator for licensing or collaboration terms.

Does this meet any official standards or certifications?

DIN, a European Standardisation organization, was a consortium partner specifically tasked with preparing pre-standardisation materials. This means the tools and methods are designed to feed into formal European standards for heritage resilience — a significant advantage for regulatory compliance.

How long does it take to deploy in a new city?

The project ran from June 2019 to August 2022 across 4 pilot cities. Based on available project data, deployment involved a co-creation process with local authorities and practitioners. Exact setup time for a new city is not specified but the validated pilot approach suggests months rather than years.

Can this integrate with existing city GIS and emergency management systems?

The platform was built with integration in mind — it includes georeferenced information systems (HArIS, THIS) and a Knowledge Information Management System that aggregates sensor data, hazard data, and area data. The system design deliverable specifically documents the integration process across subsystems.

Is there ongoing support or is this a finished research project?

ARCH closed in August 2022. However, the Fraunhofer-led consortium of 16 partners across 6 countries produced 30 deliverables and pre-standardisation materials. The project website (savingculturalheritage.eu) and Fraunhofer's continued operations suggest the technology could be further developed or supported through follow-on engagement.

Consortium

Who built it

The 16-partner consortium across 6 countries (Germany, Spain, Ireland, Italy, South Korea, Slovakia) is heavily research-oriented with 7 research organizations and only 1 industry partner (6% industry ratio). This signals strong scientific depth but limited commercial pull. The coordinator, Fraunhofer — Germany's largest applied research institution — bridges research and industry better than most. Having DIN (European Standardisation) as a partner adds real commercial value by creating a pathway to formal standards adoption. The 3 SMEs and 4 pilot cities across different climate zones provide practical grounding, but a business buyer should expect to work with the research partners to adapt the tools rather than getting an off-the-shelf product.

FUNDACION DE LA COMUNITAT VALENCIANA PARA LA PROMOCION ESTRATEGICA EL DESARROLLO Y LA INNOVACION URBANAparticipant · ES
ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTEparticipant · KR
HLAVNE MESTO SLOVENSKEJ REPUBLIKY BRATISLAVAparticipant · SK
FREIE UND HANSESTADT HAMBURGparticipant · DE
FUNDACION TECNALIA RESEARCH & INNOVATIONparticipant · ES
RESEARCH FOR SCIENCE, ART AND TECHNOLOGY (RFSAT) LIMITEDparticipant · IE
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI CAMERINOparticipant · IT
SOGESCA s.r.l.participant · IT
DIN DEUTSCHES INSTITUT FUER NORMUNG EVparticipant · DE
AGENZIA NAZIONALE PER LE NUOVE TECNOLOGIE, L'ENERGIA E LO SVILUPPO ECONOMICO SOSTENIBILEparticipant · IT
UNIVERZITA KOMENSKEHO V BRATISLAVEparticipant · SK
ICLEI EUROPEAN SECRETARIAT GMBH (ICLEI EUROPASEKRETARIAT GMBH)participant · DE
ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI GEOFISICA E VULCANOLOGIAparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (DE) — search for ARCH project lead at Fraunhofer or use the CORDIS contact form.

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Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with the ARCH team about deploying their climate risk platform in your city or heritage site? SciTransfer can arrange an introduction and brief you on the best fit for your needs.

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