Abstract
We examine how building and appliance technologies relate to their use by occupants through practices at home and at work. The aim is to analyse how practices are influenced by buildings and other technologies and by social requirements and to add to ongoing research on how to contribute to a transition to more sustainable everyday practices. Interview, quantitative and observational material are used to compare experiences of occupying and using two different types of buildings, passive housing and large modern research laboratories. We apply the practice theory approach. The passive house case showed that the main project of a liveable, low-impact new building was on a fairly manageable scale, with a viable design and occupants who were prepared to adapt to it. The research lab study showed, however, that the configuration of unsustainable technologies and practices can occur at the design stage, and that most actors had very limited room for manoeuvre.
Highlights
Recent years have seen increased interest in ameliorating global warming, and considerable attention has been paid to energy-related emissions
Researchers have long emphasized that the ways in which a building is used have great impact on its energy performance (Wilson & Dowlatabadi, 2007; Moezzi & Lutzenhiser, 2010; Gram-Hanssen, 2010)
We found that the building managers (BMs) often worked in relative isolation from their peers; they supported the idea of setting up a forum in which they could learn from each other
Summary
Recent years have seen increased interest in ameliorating global warming, and considerable attention has been paid to energy-related emissions. More research is needed regarding the actual use of energy efficient buildings, and the ways in which low-energy-demand practices can be developed in an everyday context at home and at work. In this article we will focus on energy use in passive houses and research labs designed for 24-hour use, using practice theory as our analytical framework. Energy was not necessarily discussed at the senior management level for each building, and many respondents stressed the importance of leadership They commented that when heads of department and university decision-making bodies stress the significance of energy, it becomes more likely that researchers will pay attention, and that BMs will have more authority to implement changes in practice. They thought that the child had become unwell because of the cold apartment
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