Residents’ experiences of privacy and comfort in multi-storey apartment dwellings in subtropical Brisbane

Dwellings in multi-storey apartment buildings (MSAB) are predicted to increase dramatically as a proportion of housing stock in subtropical cities over coming decades. The problem of designing comfortable and healthy high-density residential environments and minimising energy consumption must be addressed urgently in subtropical cities globally. This paper explores private residents’ experiences of privacy and comfort and their perceptions of how well their apartment dwelling modulated the external environment in subtropical conditions through analysis of 636 survey responses and 24 interviews with residents of MSAB in inner urban neighbourhoods of Brisbane, Australia. The findings show that the availability of natural ventilation and outdoor private living spaces play important roles in resident perceptions of liveability in the subtropics where the climate is conducive to year round “outdoor living”. Residents valued choice with regard to climate control methods in their apartments. They overwhelmingly preferred natural ventilation to manage thermal comfort, and turned to the air-conditioner for limited periods, particularly when external conditions were too noisy. These findings provide a unique evidence base for reducing the environmental impact of MSAB and increasing the acceptability of apartment living, through incorporating residential attributes positioned around climate-responsive architecture.

Aging-in-place: Perspectives from the construction industry

Older adults report a desire to remain within the preferred environment for as long as possible. This desire is referred to as aging-in-place. Aging-in-place integrates housing and care options. Factors affecting the ability to remain within the preferred environment include current home designs, access to housing choices, social support networks, and community services, to name a few. Research supports physical and psychosocial benefits of aging-in-place for the individual. Home modifications have the potential to influence the quality of life in a number of positive directions that range from personal mobility to community engagement. Modifications range from minor to significant. Financial resources, contractor interest and expertise, consumer awareness and consumer opportunity affect the degree of change. Increasingly, construction professionals express an interest in learning more about aging-in place. Queries ranged from obtaining a greater understanding of the meaning of the concept, impact of demographic change on housing stock, and increased awareness of universal design features. This paper presents findings from a survey administered to current members of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association – Calgary Regional Office. Within this presentation, we report findings on members understanding of demographic change and the effect of this change on the current and future housing stock. We discuss perceived barriers and benefits of the development of business models to support aging-in-place. Finally, we conclude with discussion of educational support to enhance the understanding of aging-in-place.

What does built environment research have to do with risk mitigation, resilience and disaster recovery?

One could argue that the nature of our housing stock is a key determining factor in the ability of our citizens to manage risk, be resilient to various natural and human events, and to recover from these events. Recent research has been examining current challenges posed by our housing stock and exploring potential solutions from a range of perspectives. The aim of this paper is to discuss key findings from recent built environment research in Australia to initiate cross-sectorial discussion and debate about the implications and opportunities for other sectors such as emergency management and insurance. Three recent building research projects are discussed: - Heat waves The impact of heat waves on houses and occupants, and proposed changes to building regulations, air conditioning standards and building design, to reduce risks associated with heat waves. - Net zero energy homes Exploration of the potential benefits of a strategic optimization of building quality, energy and water efficiency, and household or community level distributed energy and water services for disaster management and recovery. - Building information Mapping of the flow of information about residential buildings, and the potential for national or regional building files (in a similar manner to personal medical records) to assist all parties to make more informed decisions that impact on housing sustainability and community resilience. The paper discusses how sustainability, environmental performance and resilience are inter-related, and can be supported by building files. It concludes with a call for increased cross-sectorial collaboration to explore opportunities for a whole-of-systems approach to our built environment that addresses a range of economic and environmental challenges as well as disaster and emergency management.

Electronic Building Passport - Final Report: Project 2 National Energy Efficient Building Project Phase 2

The National Energy Efficient Building Project (NEEBP) Phase One report, published in December 2014, investigated “process issues and systemic failures” in the administration of the energy performance requirements in the National Construction Code. It found that most stakeholders believed that under-compliance with these requirements is widespread across Australia, with similar issues being reported in all states and territories. The report found that many different factors were contributing to this outcome and, as a result, many recommendations were offered that together would be expected to remedy the systemic issues reported. To follow up on this Phase 1 report, three additional projects were commissioned as part of Phase 2 of the overall NEEBP project. This Report deals with the development and piloting of an Electronic Building Passport (EBP) tool – a project undertaken jointly by pitt&sherry and a team at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) led by Dr Wendy Miller. The other Phase 2 projects cover audits of Class 1 buildings and issues relating to building alterations and additions. The passport concept aims to provide all stakeholders with (controlled) access to the key documentation and information that they need to verify the energy performance of buildings. This trial project deals with residential buildings but in principle could apply to any building type. Nine councils were recruited to help develop and test a pilot electronic building passport tool. The participation of these councils – across all states – enabled an assessment of the extent to which these councils are currently utilising documentation; to track the compliance of residential buildings with the energy performance requirements in the National Construction Code (NCC). Overall we found that none of the participating councils are currently compiling all of the energy performance-related documentation that would demonstrate code compliance. The key reasons for this include: a major lack of clarity on precisely what documentation should be collected; cost and budget pressures; low public/stakeholder demand for the documentation; and a pragmatic judgement that non-compliance with any regulated documentation requirements represents a relatively low risk for them. Some councils reported producing documentation, such as certificates of final completion, only on demand, for example. Only three of the nine council participants reported regularly conducting compliance assessments or audits utilising this documentation and/or inspections. Overall we formed the view that documentation and information tracking processes operating within the building standards and compliance system are not working to assure compliance with the Code’s energy performance requirements. In other words the Code, and its implementation under state and territory regulatory processes, is falling short as a ‘quality assurance’ system for consumers. As a result it is likely that the new housing stock is under-performing relative to policy expectations, consuming unnecessary amounts of energy, imposing unnecessarily high energy bills on occupants, and generating unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, Councils noted that the demand for documentation relating to building energy performance was low. All the participant councils in the EBP pilot agreed that documentation and information processes need to work more effectively if the potential regulatory and market drivers towards energy efficient homes are to be harnessed. These findings are fully consistent with the Phase 1 NEEBP report. It was also agreed that an EBP system could potentially play an important role in improving documentation and information processes. However, only one of the participant councils indicated that they might adopt such a system on a voluntary basis. The majority felt that such a system would only be taken up if it were: - A nationally agreed system, imposed as a mandatory requirement under state or national regulation; - Capable of being used by multiple parties including councils, private certifiers, building regulators, builders and energy assessors in particular; and - Fully integrated into their existing document management systems, or at least seamlessly compatible rather than a separate, unlinked tool. Further, we note that the value of an EBP in capturing statistical information relating to the energy performance of buildings would be much greater if an EBP were adopted on a nationally consistent basis. Councils were clear that a key impediment to the take up of an EBP system is that they are facing very considerable budget and staffing challenges. They report that they are often unable to meet all community demands from the resources available to them. Therefore they are unlikely to provide resources to support the roll out of an EBP system on a voluntary basis. Overall, we conclude from this pilot that the public good would be well served if the Australian, state and territory governments continued to develop and implement an Electronic Building Passport system in a cost-efficient and effective manner. This development should occur with detailed input from building regulators, the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB), councils and private certifiers in the first instance. This report provides a suite of recommendations (Section 7.2) designed to advance the development and guide the implementation of a national EBP system.

Yhteinen kaupunki, eriytyvät kaupunginosat? : Kantaväestön ja maahanmuuttajataustaisten asukkaiden alueellinen eriytyminen ja muuttoliike pääkaupunkiseudulla

This thesis critically examines the patterns and processes of ethnic residential segregation in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area (HMA). These phenomena are examined in two main ways: a) between the native and immigrant populations and b) the extent to which different immigrant groups are sharing the same neighbourhoods. The main aim of the study is to test the extent to which the theoretical claims of the selective migration processes can explain the development of ethnic residential segregation in HMA. The data is mixed: it consists of neighbourhood-level statistics related to the migration, demography and housing stock. The selective migration flows are analysed within and between neighbourhood-types, defined on the basis of the percentages of foreign-language-speakers. For contextual purposes, the study also includes fifteen expert interviews who work within the housing sector. Firstly, the results show that, from the early 2000s the patterns of ethnic residential segregation have strengthened while the differences between neighbourhoods have grown. On a more general level the HMA can be divided into two main areas: some eastern and north-eastern neighbourhoods that have experienced the rise of immigrant concentrations and; the northern, north-western and southern parts of the HMA, where the number and percentages of immigrants have remained relatively low. However, within the eastern and north-eastern neighbourhoods there are also discernable internal differences that reflect the income levels of the inhabitants and the type of housing stock. The results also show that, the existing immigrant concentrations are ethnically and culturally mixed and thus qualitatively different from China town and Little-Italy enclaves of single groups of immigrants. Secondly, the results show that there are clear signs of the selective migration processes of the native and immigrant populations which have resulted in the discernable development of ethnic residential segregation. Migration flows of the native population have gravitated towards neighbourhoods, where the percentage of immigrants is below the HMA average. This has resulted in significant migration losses for neighbourhoods with established and developing concentrations of immigrants. Meanwhile, migration of immigrants has been drawn to neighbourhoods where their percentages are above the HMA average. However, the results also point to clear differences in the migration and spatial patterns of different immigrant groups. The spatial selectivity of migration is, thus, more prominent amongst the native population than when compared with immigrants. Overall, the results indicate that the reproduction of the selective migration flows of the native and immigrant populations will largely determine HMA s future development of ethnic residential segregation.

Asuntopolitiikka ja vieraskielisen väestön alueellinen keskittyminen Helsingissä vuosina 1992-2005

The aim of the thesis was to study the extent of spatial concentration of immigrant population in Helsinki and to analyse the impact of housing policy on ethnic residential segregation in 1992-2005. For the purpose of the study, immigrant population was defined based on the language spoken at home. The theory of residential segregation by Andersson and Molina formed the main theoretical framework for the study. According to Andersson and Molina ethnic residential segregation results from different dynamic intra-urban migration processes. Institutionally generated migration, i.e. migration patterns generated by various housing and immigrant policies and procedures, is one of the central factors in the development of ethnic segregation. The data of the study consisted of population and housing statistics and housing and immigrant policy documents of Helsinki municipality. Spatial concentration of immigrant population was studied both at district and building levels using GIS-methods and statistical methods. The housing policy of Helsinki municipality was analysed using a method created by Musterd et al. Musterd et al. categorise two types of policy approaches to residential segregation: spatial dispersion policy and compensating policy. The housing policy of Helsinki has a strong focus on social mixing and spatial dispersion of housing stock. Ethnic segregation is regarded as a threat. The importance of ethnic communities and networks is, however, acknowledged and small-scale concentration is therefore not considered harmful. Despite the spatial dispersion policy, the immigrant population is concentrated in the eastern, north-eastern and north-western suburbs of Helsinki. The spatial pattern of concentration was formed already at the beginning of the 1990's when immigration to Finland suddenly peaked. New immigrant groups were housed in the neighbourhoods where public housing was available at the time. Housing policy, namely the location of new residential areas and public housing blocks and the policies of public housing allocation were key factors influencing the residential patterns of immigrant population in the 1990's. The immigration and refugee policies of the state have also had an impact on the development. The concentration of immigrant population has continued in the same areas in the beginning of the 2000's. Dispersion to new areas has mainly taken place within the eastern and north-eastern parts of the city or in the adjacent areas. The migration patterns of native population and the reasonably rapid changes in the housing market have emerged as new factors generating and influencing the ethnic residential segregation in Helsinki in the 2000's. Due to social mixing and spatial dispersion policies, ethnic segregation in Helsinki has so far been fairly small-scale, concentrated in particular housing blocks. The number of residential buildings with a high share of immigrant population is very modest. However, the number of such buildings has doubled between 1996-2002. The concentration of immigrant population concerns mainly the public housing sector. The difference in the level of concentration between the public housing sector and privately owned housing companies is remarkable.

Elämää keskustassa ja kaupunkiseudun reunoilla. Urbaani ja jälkiesikaupungillinen elämäntyyli asumisen valinnoissa ja arkiliikkumisessa Helsingin seudulla.

The lifestyles of people living in single-family housing areas on the outskirts of the Greater Helsinki Region (GHR) are different from those living in inner city area. The urban structure of the GHR is concentrated in the capital on the one hand, and spread out across the outskirts on the other. Socioeconomic spatial divisions are evident as well-paid and educated residents move to the inner city or the single-family house dominated suburban neighbourhoods depending on their housing preferences and life situations. The following thesis explores how these lifestyles have emerged through the housing choices and daily mobility of the residents living in the new single-family housing areas on the outskirts of the GHR and the inner city. The study shows that, when it comes to lifestyles, residents on the outskirts of the region have different housing preferences and daily mobility patterns when compared with their inner city counterparts. Based on five different case study areas my results show that these differences are related to residents values, preferences and attitudes towards the neighbourhood, on the one hand, and limited by urban structure on the other. This also confirms earlier theoretical analyses and findings from the GHR. Residents who moved to the outskirts of Greater Helsinki Region and the apartment buildings of the inner city were similar in the basic elements of their housing preferences: they sought a safe and peaceful neighbourhood close to the natural environment. However, where housing choices, daily mobility and activities vary different lifestyles develop in both the outskirts and the inner city. More specifically, lifestyles in the city apartment blocks were inherently urban. Liveliness and highest order facilities were appreciated and daily mobility patterns were supported by diverse modes of transportation for the purposes of work, shopping and leisure time. On the outskirts, by contrast, lifestyles were largely post-suburban and child-friendliness appreciated. Due to the heterachical urban structure, daily mobility was more car-dependent since work, shopping and free time activities of the residents are more spread around the region. The urban structure frames the daily mobility on the outskirts of the region, but this is not to say that short local trips replace longer regional ones. This comparative case study was carried out in the single-family housing areas of Sundsberg in Kirkkonummi, Landbo in Helsinki and Ylästö in Vantaa, as well as in the inner city apartment building areas of Punavuori and Katajanokka in Helsinki. The data is comprised of residential surveys, interviews, and statistics and GIS data sets that illustrate regional daily mobility, socio-economic structure and vis-à-vis housing stock.

Super suburbia: developing resilience by closing resource cycles in North Belfast

Sustainability can be described as having three interlinked strands, known as the ‘trias energetica’, without which resilience is difficult to achieve. These strands are environmental, social and economic: and if taken as indicators, the suburbs of North Belfast are very poorly performing indeed. Places such as Ligoneal and Glen Cairn have poor housing stock energetically, and also little economic activity. This paper describes propositional work completed by Queens University and Belfast City Council as part of the UK’s Technology Strategy Board’s Future Cities Programme, which aimed to develop new synergies in these neighbourhoods by the insertion of closed cycle economies.

By utilising a research by design methodology, the paper develops a process-based and phased design to develop a new emergent form to these neighbourhoods, one in which new productive systems are embedded into the city, at a small-scales. These include a peak-load hydro-electric project in Ligoneal; a productive landscape in Glen Cairn and a city-wide energy refurbishment utilising neighbourhood waste streams.

These designs allow for a roadmap for development to be created that could change the modus operandi of an area over a relatively short period of time, and show that even modest investments of productive technologies at a local scale could fundamentally change the form and the economic and environmental operation of the city in the future, and create a new resilient city, one that can be less externally dependent and more socially just.

Reabilitação de edifícios: enquadramento e estudo da reabilitação num grupo empresarial

Dissertação para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Civil na Área de Especialização em Edificações

Reabilitação térmica e acústica de edifícios antigos

Dissertação de Natureza Científica para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Civil na Área de Especialização de Edificações

Reabilitação energética de edifícios

A reabilitação é uma intervenção que confere ao edifício uma qualidade superior à que possuía aquando da sua construção. Desta forma, e com a entrada em vigor em final de 2013 da nova legislação referente à certificação energética dos edifícios, surge novamente o interesse na temática de reabilitar energeticamente o parque habitacional. Esta nova legislação aparece na sequencia das novas exigências da Comissão Europeia e do Parlamento Europeu face às alterações climáticas e consequentemente, em relação à eficiência energética. A reabilitação energética de edifícios, visa principalmente a melhoria das condições de conforto térmico, a redução dos consumos energéticos com aquecimento, arrefecimento e as águas quentes sanitárias. Tais melhorias são alcançáveis com intervenções que se foquem na envolvente dos edifícios, com a aplicação de sistemas de alta eficiência para o aquecimento, arrefecimento, iluminação e águas quentes sanitárias e com a integração de fontes de energias renováveis. Assim é possível alcançar edifícios com necessidades nulas ou quase nulas de energia, tal como exigem as metas impostas a nível europeu.

Inspeção, Diagnóstico e Reparação de Estruturas de Betão Armado

O mercado da reabilitação de estruturas em Portugal está em voga, sendo um nicho de mercado com evolução galopante nos últimos anos fruto da consciencialização das entidades responsáveis, assim como das necessidades de intervir no parque edificado cada vez mais degradado, resultando num estímulo para o mercado da construção face ao seu estado atual. As causas associadas à degradação prematura dos materiais estruturais resultam de erros de conceção e execução, assim como do facto de muitas estruturas de betão armado do parque habitacional edificado nas décadas de 60 e 70, estarem a atingir o fim do seu período de vida útil. Na avaliação do estado de degradação de estruturas de betão armado aconselha-se a utilização de ensaios não destrutivos, uma vez que permitem efetuar um diagnóstico com resultados positivos salvaguardando a integridade da estrutura. A norma EN 1504“Produtos e Sistemas para a proteção e reparação de estruturas de betão” estipula os procedimentos de execução, as características dos materiais mais adequados a cada tipo de projeto, assim como a divisão do seu encadeamento em 5 fases. O caso prático apresentado é um edifício de prestação de serviços municipais, tendo sido aplicado com o maior rigor possível as fases de inspeção, diagnóstico, deliberação e reparação. Foi efetuada uma fase de diagnóstico, de carácter visual assim como de caracterização física dos elementos estruturais em betão armado através de ensaios “in situ”. A estrutura avaliada apresenta debilidades e um estado de degradação acelerado, pelo que urge uma intervenção de reparação por forma a repor a estrutura com as características da sua conceção, salvaguardando a segurança das pessoas e bens.

Reabilitação de Edifícios de Habitação Multifamiliar na Baixa do Porto – Estudo de Casos

O presente relatório refere-se ao Programa de Estágio elaborado na empresa Teprocil, Lda, no âmbito da unidade curricular Dissertação / Projeto /Estágio (DIPRE) do 2º ano do Mestrado em Engenharia Civil – Ramo de Construções, para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Civil do Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto. O tema do estágio incidiu sobre a Reabilitação de Edifícios, uma vez que este é também o âmbito de trabalho da empresa de acolhimento. Numa primeira fase, o relatório destinou-se a descrever e identificar os trabalhos realizados pelo estagiário no âmbito do Programa de Estágio. Numa segunda fase, procurou-se pesquisar e estudar acerca do parque habitacional português, incentivos e programas de Reabilitação Urbana e de Edifícios, tanto a nível nacional como ao nível local, no caso da cidade do Porto. Posteriormente refere-se e apresenta-se todo o trabalho desenvolvido acerca de dois casos de estudo, ambos para a reabilitação de edifícios antigos (finais do séc. XIX) sitos na Baixa do Porto. Finalmente são apresentadas algumas considerações e conclusões finais acerca do trabalho realizado.

Eco-wall modular solutions for buildings

This paper discusses the development of modular solutions for eco low-cost houses based on a pre-fabricated modular wall system environmentally sustainable, socioeconomically competitive and geared towards developing African nations with a housing deficit. The key point to the research of a modular wall solution is a structural layer complemented with local and materials made by non-specialized workforce. This wall also meets also hydrothermal acoustic and mechanical properties. Thus,the solution also offers good safety and interior comfort conditions to its users while maintaining the flexibility to expand the size of the house. Parameters as dimensions, materials and constructive processes of the existing housing stock were studied. Features such as the family size, typology, different uses, common materials, existing regulations, minimal living conditions, safety and comfort have also been considered to achieve the most efficient solution.

Segregation unter Stagnationsbedingungen

Anlass der Untersuchung sind Verstärkungen von strukturwandel- und globalisierungsbedingten Wandlungen unter Schrumpfungs- und Stagnationsbedingungen. Denn Stagnations- und Schrumpfungstendenzen in einer Region sind selektiv, sie begünstigen über verschiedene Mechanismen Polarisierungen und Marginalisierungen: Die allgemeine Entspannung am Wohnungsmarkt hat erhöhte Mobilität und damit sozialräumliche Segregierungen und Polarisierungen der Wohnungsversorgung zur Folge. Leerstände und ausbleibende Investitionen begünstigen Polarisierungen von baulich-räumlichen Qualitäten. Diese beiden Entwicklungen überlagern sich im Stadtraum und verstärken sich gegenseitig. Dabei verbessert sich die Wohnungsversorgung in den benachteiligten Quartieren kaum, so die Ausgangshypothesen. Die Untersuchung fragt nach den Wirkungen des Nebeneinanders von Wachstums-, Stagnations- und Schrumpfungserscheinungen auf unterschiedlichen Maßstabsebenen, dem Zusammenspiel von sozialstrukturellen und qualitativen Veränderungen der baulich-räumlichen Gegebenheiten in den Quartieren sowie in innerstädtischer Differenzierung. Dabei interessieren besonders die Einflüsse eines regional entspannten Wohnungsmarktes und dessen Folgen für die Verwertungsstrategien im Wohnungsbestand auf Segregationsprozesse und die Wohnungsversorgung. Als Fallbeispiel der Untersuchung dient die Stadt Kassel. Der sozialräumliche Fokus liegt auf drei Typen benachteiligter Quartiere: Neben den in der aktuellen Diskussion zumeist betrachteten gründerzeitlichen Arbeiterquartieren und den Großsiedlungen der 1960/70er Jahre wurden auch die peripheren Geschosswohnungsbausiedlungen der 1950er/60er Jahre in die Untersuchung einbezogen, um den unterschiedlichen Rahmenbedingungen und Wirkungen in den Quartierstypen auf die Spur zu kommen und damit letztlich Grundlagen für stadtentwicklungspolitische Strategien zu erarbeiten. Die kleinräumigen Analysen von sozialräumlicher und baulich-räumlicher Struktur sowie zur Wohnungsversorgung deckten Parallelen und gegenläufige Entwicklungen zwischen den unterschiedlichen Quartierstypen auf; es ergaben sich verschiedene Anhaltspunkte zur Erhärtung der Ausgangsthesen. So wurde z.B. deutlich, dass sich unter den Marktbedingungen stagnierender Städte die Wohnflächenversorgung in den benachteiligten Quartieren kaum verbessert. Hierin zeigt sich ein entscheidender Unterschied zu stark schrumpfenden Städten, in denen sich die Versorgungslage (fast) durchgängig verbessert. Wohnungsmarktbarrieren wirken offensichtlich unter Stagnationsbedingungen für bestimmte Bevölkerungsgruppen weiter. Da sich ihre Wirkung aber für weitere Kreise der Bevölkerung abschwächt, verschärfen sich sozialräumliche Konzentrationen. Vor allem aber wurden Überlagerung und gegenseitige Verstärkung dieser sozialräumlichen mit baulich-räumlichen Polarisierungen deutlich, die vor allem aus stadträumlich konzentrierten Investitionen in den Gebäude- und Wohnungsbestand resultieren. Letztlich zeigt sich damit, dass regulierende Eingriffe nicht nur im Rahmen des Umbaus und der Erneuerung der Quartiere erforderlich sind, sondern insbesondere auch in den Wohnungsmarkt und dies auch bei entspannter regionaler Marktlage. Andernfalls ist weder eine angemessene Wohnungsversorgung aller Bevölkerungsgruppen noch der Zusammenhalt der Stadt(Gesellschaft) zu gewährleisten. Dabei ist die Stadtpolitik permanent mit der Gleichzeitigkeit von (wirtschaftlicher) Standortpolitik und sozialer Stadtentwicklung konfrontiert, die sie im Sinne einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung gegeneinander und miteinander abwägen muss.