Case Study Of House Research Articles

Comparing the whole life cycle carbon impact of conventional and biogenic building materials across major residential typologies in Ghana and Senegal

Across West African built environments, patterns of high greenhouse gas emissions are driven by the widespread importation of high embodied carbon building materials by a largely self-built industry and recurring operational carbon costs driven by increased access to fossil-fuel based energy services. Using a whole life cycle assessment (LCA) of major residential typologies in two case-study West African countries, Ghana and Senegal, this paper compares the greenhouse gas emissions of imported building materials with local alternative biogenic and geogenic materials within conventional housing typologies. Results indicated that locally sourced biogenic and geogenic materials may be rendered ineffective in buildings if future typologies do not address the effective space density, passive design strategies and increased renewable energy-use. For the building typology with the highest carbon footprint, the Ghanaian detached house, the substitution of conventional building materials with non-fired earth masonry did not have any significant impact. As shown in the housing typology with the lowest operational to embodied carbon ratio, the Senegalese vertical housing case study, optimizing the thermal mass design of earthen building envelopes can significantly drive down lifetime operational carbon emissions. For tropical low-rise building typologies dominated by high roof area to building volume ratios, roof insulation could drive down operational carbon of the building by a factor of 4 to 5. Although each additional storey results in approximately 10–12 % increase in greenhouse gas emissions, the vertical expansion of housing represents an important driver in reducing greenhouse gas emissions per capita.

Defining the calibration process for building thermal performance simulation during the warm season: a case study of a single-family log house

ABSTRACT The study aimed to develop a holistic, evidence-based calibration strategy and define a hybrid step-by-step methodology for building thermal simulations during the warm season. The methodology was demonstrated using the thermal performance of a naturally ventilated single-family log house in a temperate climate. The calibration process was supported by on-site measurements of indoor thermal conditions and occupant behavioural reports between April and July. Hybrid calibration methodology combines statistical indicators, such as NMBE, CV(RMSE), and R 2, and a graphical evaluation of the deviation between the simulated and measured values. After 28 proposed calibration steps, a final calibrated model predicted the actual thermal response of the log house with an accuracy of ±1°C at 71.6% or ±2°C at 98.4% of the considered time. The results showed that occupant-related information, material properties and infiltration rates are crucial to improving the reliability of building thermal models. Moreover, in the calibration process of log houses, appropriate determination of building envelope materials’ thermal conductivity, wood's solar absorptivity, and airtightness showed high importance. The study highlights the importance of calibration for reliable building thermal models, specifically in overheating prevention simulations.

Integrating Technology and Heritage Design for Climate Resilient Courtyard House in Arid Region

This research has investigated the sustainability and climate resilience of courtyard houses of adobe architecture in the UAE. It analyzed design effectiveness in terms of power consumption, CO2 emissions, thermal comfort, and daylight use, employing simulations to assess building structures and construction systems. Adopting a three-phase mixed-methods approach, the study began with a literature review on courtyard house design, construction, and environmental performance, emphasizing sustainable design and passive ventilation. The second phase involved a case study of a UAE courtyard house (Al Midfa), including site visits, interviews, and energy consumption and CO2 emission data collection. The final phase used building energy simulation software to model energy performance and evaluate passive ventilation's role in reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions, with simulation results validated against real-world data. Advanced Sefaira simulations with the Energy Plus Engine identified one out of seven modified models (M5) as exceptionally thermally efficient, influencing the architectural design of the Al Midfa house. To transform the Al Midfa house into a sustainable climate-resistant structure, the research suggested retrofitting with new glazing and insulation on the inside of external walls and on the roof surface at a combined U-value of 0.4 W/m2to enhance energy efficiency without altering the exterior. A notable innovation was the use of injected cellulose insulation in wall systems, combining efficient insulation with architectural aesthetics, signifying a shift towards energy-efficient interior modifications. The study's findings contribute to the evolution of traditional house designs toward climate change resilience and a sustainable future. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2024-010-03-018 Full Text: PDF

Analysis of Diseases and Conservation of Modern Residential Buildings in Macao: A Case Study of the Lou Family's Big House

The Lo Family Building is a typical representative of modern residential architecture in Macao, which has its own characteristics in terms of architectural history, culture, spatial layout and fittings. In recent years, many scholars have been carrying out research on the Lu Family's Great House. At present, there is insufficient research and protection on the disease analysis and architectural protection related issues of the restored Lu Family's Great House. This paper through the literature research, field research methods on the Lu family house specific investigation and research, analysis of existing disease phenomena, concluded that the Zheng family house is currently the main external finishes discolouration, cracking, weathering, plant erosion and human factors and other types of disease, and its characteristics and causes of a brief collation of the analysis; and finally, based on the above materials, put forward the subsequent protection measures. To a certain extent, it provides some new thoughts for the conservation of modern residential buildings in Macao.

Exploring and measuring the health resilience of urban buildings against the pandemic: A case study of Hong Kong public housing during COVID-19

The worldwide spread of COVID-19 raises considerable concern about occupant health and pandemic prevention. The building plays a significant role in preventing and controlling the pandemic as most of the time people stay within the built environment. Even urban resilience is widely used to cope with urban changes, the concept of resilience has seldom been adopted at the building level for occupants' health during the pandemic. There is a lack of suitable measurement methods specially designed for health resilience. Consequently, this study designs the framework of “building health resilience (BHR)” to reveal buildings’ ability to resist the pandemic spread within occupants, and develops the BHR model to measure the building performance in health resilience. The case study of Hong Kong public housing under COVID-19 reveals that implementing BHR framework and measurement approach are effective for single buildings and building groups within certain areas or during different periods. This study contributes to proposing BHR and developing BHR measurement approach by considering the building scale and external pandemic situation in nearby local area of the building. The BHR model is quite flexible to adapt to diverse disturbance scenarios to quantify the BHR performance, provides valuable results to find out weak buildings during the pandemic spread, and takes targeted actions toward healthy and resilient buildings.

The Rhetoric of Freedom

Over the past few years, the National Council on Public History (NCPH)’s annual meeting has given attention to the forthcoming 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. NCPH has worked with the National Park Service (NPS) to present a scholar’s roundtable with different annual themes. The roundtable at the 2023 meeting examined “The Rhetoric of Freedom.” This essay opens with an exploration of the theme. What follows is an introduction to the scholars who participated in the roundtable; a description of their suite of programming; and a summary of their findings. I close with a “best practices” case study of the Aiken-Rhett House, an urban plantation mansion in Charleston, South Carolina. The case study answers a reoccurring question that emerged from roundtable discussions: How do historians engage public(s) in narratives of freedom, bondage, and nation building?

Heritage interpretation assessment framework for historic house museums in Singapore: a case study of the NUS baba house

Singapore is increasingly preserving historically significant structures through adaptive reuse, notably using historic house museums to connect with local history. NUS Baba House, a well-preserved Peranakan townhouse, is a prime example of this. Evaluating heritage interpretation at NUS Baba House can clarify relevant criteria, but existing principles lack specificity for the heritage interpretation of Singaporean historic house museums. This paper systematically assesses NUS Baba House's heritage interpretation using a literature-based framework, providing tailored recommendations across five dimensions: authenticity, sustainability, professionalism, guided tour interactivity, inclusiveness, and community engagement. While further validation through case studies is needed, this study offers a practical framework to enhance heritage interpretation at Singaporean historic house museums, filling a gap in current guidelines.

Design issues concerning circular economy assessment methods at the product level: a comparative analysis through a case study of a mobile tiny house

Abstract Sustainability evaluations are increasingly relevant in the design of products. Within sustainability-related frameworks, circular economy (CE) has gained attention in the last few years, and this has vastly affected design, leading, for example, to design for circularity. This article deals with the wide range of product-level CE assessment tools, out of which some are applied to a case study from the building sector, namely a tiny house made with hemp bricks. Attention was specifically paid to those methods through which a single circularity indicator could be extrapolated. Overall, the objective of this work is to study the convergence of existing CE assessment methods in providing consistent circularity performances. The results show similarities in the overall circularity scores despite differences in the variables used to achieve that final score. Thus, despite the lack of standard methods, the results suggest that many of these tools are sufficiently interchangeable, also in consideration of consistent indications to improve the circularity of the tiny house. This means that consistent inputs are provided to anyone willing to redesign the tiny house with the objective of making it more circular irrespective of the assessment tool used.

Environmental sustainability and cost performances of construction and demolition waste management scenarios: A case study of timber and concrete houses in Thailand

Circular economy (CE) is becoming a vital strategy to tackle two major environmental challenges of building and construction sector, viz., intensive resource consumption and massive construction and demolition waste (CDW) generation. The study assessed six circular economy scenarios for CDW management of concrete and timber houses in Thailand compared to the base case (landfill). Life cycle assessment and life cycle costing were conducted to illustrate the influence of CE strategies on environmental sustainability and cost performance. Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) was evaluated to determine the circularity performances of material use for the CE scenarios. The 100% recycling scenario resulted in 124% and 166–169% reductions of the mineral resource scarcity impact as compared to the conventional CDW management for the concrete and timber houses, respectively. For the concrete house, 100% recycling scenario resulted in the lowest life cycle costs (when combining both internal cost and externalities). On the other hand, the 100% recycling scenario of timber house would bring about the highest cost due to the energy cost. However, for the timber house, energy recovery scenario provided the lowest impact values on global warming, ozone formation, and terrestrial acidification. The internal costs of implementing the CE measures are higher for timber than for concrete. The MCI value for 100% recycling scenario was about 0.55; however, it can be increased to 0.73 (timber house) and 0.75 (concrete house) if the utility lifetime of building materials were extended. The results show the integrating the CE for CDW management can bring benefit to both environmental sustainability and cost performance.

Cost-benefit analysis of solar energy integration in buildings: a case study of affordable housing in Brazil

Introduction: The construction sector plays a pivotal role in global natural resource consumption, underscoring the urgency of promoting energy efficiency in buildings. With the escalating demand for renewable energy, solar power has gained significant traction. This study focuses on conducting a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of solar energy integration in residential buildings.Methods: The approach involves a novel comparison between photovoltaic panels and Solar Heating Systems (SHS) based on both environmental and financial considerations. To evaluate the practical implications, a case study was undertaken on an affordable housing complex in Brazil. Three distinct models were simulated for analysis: Model 1, featuring a grid-connected photovoltaic project with zero energy balance; Model 2, incorporating a grid-connected photovoltaic project with two solar panels generating 340 W each; and Model 3, integrating an SHS.Results: The findings reveal the technical and economic feasibility of all proposed models. Model 1 stands out with superior performance in terms of estimated energy generation, energy savings, and annual reduction of CO2 emissions. On the other hand, Model 3 excels in the financial analysis, indicating its viability from a cost perspective.Discussion: This research contributes to informed decision-making processes regarding the utilization of photovoltaic panels and SHS, thereby fostering energy efficiency and sustainability in buildings. The nuanced comparison of environmental and financial aspects provides valuable insights for stakeholders in the construction and renewable energy sectors. The identified strengths and trade-offs of each model enable a more holistic understanding of the implications of solar energy integration in residential buildings.

Predicting climate change and occupants’ behaviour impact on thermal-energy performance of global south housing: Case study in Brazil

Due to climate change conditions, natural ventilation potential may reduce over the years and increase dependence on HVAC systems. Moreover, occupants’ behaviour regarding natural ventilation is a significant parameter affecting the thermal-energy performance of residential buildings as people tend to occupy their homes differently depending on their life, work and cultural routines. Therefore, in this study, the thermal-energy performance of a Global South (GS) housing case study located in Brazil was assessed in a future weather context. This paper included two major steps: (1) Optimization procedure to create optimized models based on different occupancy patterns; and (2) Parametric analysis to explore the building’s thermal-energy performance for a given constructive design option, occupant behaviour and weather data. The optimization procedure included a multi-objective optimization based on the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) to minimize discomfort hours and cooling energy demand, while parametric analysis explored the occupants’ behaviour varieties derived from alternative occupancy patterns, ventilation availabilities and HVAC operation modes. The obtained future context simulation results indicated an increase in discomfort hours and cooling energy demand, while the most appropriate architecture design might vary depending on the occupancy behaviour.

Thermal and acoustic performance of masonry walls with phase change materials: A comparison of scaled-down houses in tropical climates

This article examines experimentally and numerically the effectiveness of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) and a new type of hybrid sandwich insulated panel (SIP) at improving the thermal comfort of four case study houses built in Thailand. In Phase 1 of the experimental programme, three scaled-down house units were built with either a) traditional brick walls plastered with a cement-based mortar, b) brick walls plastered with a cement-based mortar mixed with a 15% of PCMs, or c) a new SIP panel termed UWall. The results are discussed in terms of temperature, relative humidity (RH), energy consumption and acoustic performance. It was found that the PCM plastering and UWall effectively reduced the temperatures in the unit between 1 °C and up to 5 °C compared to the counterpart unit with brick walls plastered with cement-based mortar. In Phase 2 of the tests, a 10 × 7 m full-scale house was built with one room built with brick walls plastered with the cement-based mortar-PCM mixture, and one room built with the new UWall. Temperature, RH and indoor air movement were recorded for 48 h. Results from a bioclimatic chart indicates that both temperature and RH in the rooms remained within the comfort zone at all times if air movement is considered. The three units and full-scale house were then modelled in ANSYS® software to carry out a heat transfer analysis. The modelling approach was successful at predicting the maximum temperatures in the tested case study houses (accuracy <7%). For the case study houses and climate conditions considered in this study, the mortar-PCM plastering proved a practical retrofitting solution to improve the thermal performance, RH, energy efficiency and acoustic resistance of existing brick walls. Similar solutions could be adopted to improve the thermal comfort in masonry walls of existing buildings. This article contributes towards developing more effective solutions to improve the thermal comfort in existing houses and buildings located in tropical regions, which in turn can help reduce energy consumption.

FUSION OF MODERN INTERIOR STYLE AND NORTH INDIAN TRADITIONAL INTERIOR STYLE

The interior design style of different states of India has been the subject of considerable research in disciplines such as art forms, handicrafts and cultural identities of interior styles. But modernization of the world has created a rage of creating minimalistic spaces, this caused the need for the fusion of traditional into modern interior style. This helped in retaining our culture and preserving the traditional practices as well as artworks. The research elaborated different ways to fuse elements like space, texture and colour from North Indian traditional into Modern interior style. The fusion is supported with the help of six case studies of houses with fused interior design style from North Indian states. The paper concludes with the identification of different ways in which designers and homemakers can fuse traditional into modern interior styles.

Assessment of Design Principles in the Residential Buildings for Disabled Persons: A Case Study of Social Housing in Northern Cyprus

Abstract All human beings in the world; no matter their race, culture, origin and religion have a right to live and access different environments with ease and comfort ability. This includes disabled persons with any type from all types of disability. Hence, we need to ensure that all the buildings that we need to access in our daily lives are designed to accommodate all. One of the most significant buildings that people spend most of their time in and their comfort being most important are residential buildings. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that residential homes incorporate inclusive design principles to accommodate all individuals, particularly those with special needs. This research paper examines residential spaces’ design principles for disabled individuals in Northern Cyprus, focusing on Mağusa and Nicosia's social housing, to assess their suitability. The methodology combines qualitative and quantitative analyses. Qualitatively, it includes a literature review on design principles for disabled access and an overview of residential spaces. Quantitatively, it employs a structured questionnaire with three sections: demographics, accessibility, and housing features, using a 1–5 scale (1 being Very Poor, and 5 being Very Good). Approximately 160 questionnaires were distributed, with 147 used in the study. The findings reveal challenges with sidewalk accessibility and toilet design, indicating dissatisfaction with residential designs. Social housing in Famagusta and Nicosia also falls short of universal design standards for the disabled. Despite these issues, residents are relatively satisfied with the living room and kitchen spaces. Overall, the research concludes that Northern Cyprus residential designs inadequately address the special needs of disabled individuals, particularly regarding circulation spaces and overall quality.

Evaluation of the embodied carbon of insulation in achieving a national retrofit plan in Ireland: Probono case study and the national perspective

Overall, the building and construction sector, in Ireland, was responsible for 23 % of final energy use and 37 % of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2021. Ireland boasts some of the most ambitious targets for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission reduction to 2030 in the world. In Ireland, emissions related to the operation of the residential sector receive particular attention, and the government have introduced a National Retrofit Plan that aims to retrofit 500,000 (~25%) of the national housing stock by 2030. However, carbon emissions related to the achievement of this retrofit have not been quantified. This paper aims to outline the initial steps in evaluating the embodied carbon input of achieving a national retrofit plan of this unprecedented scale. Also, it aims to assess the relative carbon savings resulting from the production of materials to achieve retrofit plan. In the first stage, a case study of social housing, used in Probono project within the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown (DLR) local authority of Dublin City in Ireland is investigated as a best practice template for future retrofit projects. The embodied carbon of retrofit is evaluated. Then, a large housing sample set of DLR is evaluated in terms of Building Energy Rating (BER). This sample set is compared with the BER ratings of national stock to evaluate its representativeness. The results indicate that most of the dwellings on the sample set of DLR, in line with the national stock, are C and D rated and need to be retrofit to achieve B rating or better. In the final section, four types of nominal dwellings in Ireland are selected to evaluate the required volumes of thermal insulation and the added embodied carbon of retrofit to reach the national retrofit plan. The results demonstrate that ~30 million m3 of thermal insulation will be required for the national retrofit plan and it will add ~2 MtCO2 of the embodied carbon.

Research-informed Public Policy a case study of housing

Coordinating the timing and relevance of research for public policy is difficult. Based on ongoing early collaborations between researchers and policy analysts, this case study documents innovative research led public policy. He Kāinga Oranga, the Housing and Health Programme addresses the determinants of population health by improving substandard housing and was developed in consultation with local and central government, iwi and communities. We outline our research goals and processes and the range and impact of our outcomes, and draw conclusions about the value of long-term government-funded research investment that is focused on key policy issues, to improve the effectiveness and equity of public policy.

FUTURE HOMES WITH THE APPLICATION OF ANCIENT BUILDING EXPERIENCE, NEW STRUCTURAL TECHNIQUES, AND NATURAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION

This study analyses some characteristics of ancient construction and clarifies how they used renewable energy in their homes. This article analyzes ancient houses that were nature-oriented and used renewable energy. This study focuses on the structural system of ancient houses in Sistan. It dissects the structural elements of the old homes. The autopsy of the ancient house structure of Sistan shows the reader the techniques used in ancient architecture to provide energy. The research methods of this article are to examine the energy supply experiences of houses in the form of a case study of an old Sistan house to discover their energy-supplying techniques. This article uses the techniques used in Sistani houses with the application of modern house-building technologies, to develop a nature-oriented model. In fact, the model presented in this article is a modernized version of the ancient house of Sistan. This model gives a house completely friendly to nature and the environment and knowledge-oriented. The model contributes to housing programs addressing new requirements. Our proposed housing model and its general principles are replicable in other regions globally to use green energy sustainably.

The use of synthesised data for the development of Digital Twin: Chalmers student house case study

This research focuses on the development of a digital twin for a residential building using a synthesised data approach. The methodology involves five stages, with three of them dedicated to simulating different energy scenarios: actual energy consumption, passive house level consumption, and consumption after the implementation of smart building technology. The selected building is located at the Chalmers Technical University campus in Sweden. Synthesised data is used to simulate the energy demand of the building before and after renovation, as well as after the implementation of smart building technology. A custom agent-based simulation model is developed to simulate the impact of residents’ behaviours on the building’s energy consumption, and high-resolution data was analysed and synthesised to create a new dataset that was applied to the selected buildings. Finally, the results of the simulations were analysed and compared to assess the potential energy savings and improved energy performance achieved through the implementation of different scenarios. The study provides insights into the energy-efficiency of different measures for reducing energy consumption in residential buildings. The study provides insights into the energy-efficiency of different measures for reducing energy consumption in residential buildings. This research shows the potential of using synthesised data to assess and forecast changes in building stock transformation, even when real data are not available.

Semantic analysis of the hidden aspects of dwelling in Iranian housing Case Study: Social Housing Settlements in Hamedan

Semantic analysis of the hidden aspects of dwelling in Iranian housing Case Study: Social Housing Settlements in Hamedan

Execution of Ijarah Contracts in Rental Houses According to an Islamic Economic Perspective: Case Study of Rental Houses in Bengkalis City

The implementation of Ijarah Rental Contracts at Hendrawan's Boys/Girls Boarding House in Islamic Economics is the primary focus of this study. The purpose of this study was to ascertain how the rental of boarding houses would be implemented in Sengoro Village, Bengkalis District. Additionally, determine whether the ijarah contract's execution is hindered. The methodology of this study is qualitative. Qualitative research is the term for this kind of study. Field conditions and descriptions serve as the basis for this type of research, which aims to develop concepts, understandings, and theories. A study that aims to accurately describe the nature of an individual, condition, symptom, or particular group as it is is known as descriptive analysis. An interview or interview is the method used to collect data. An interview is a kind of conversation that uses verbal communication to get information and written documentation. The rent agreement for renting Hendrawan's son and daughter's boarding house is carried out verbally as a result of this research. The rental contract system can be transferred as long as the owner of the boarding house has given prior approval, proof of payment is only recorded via WhatsApp, and the tenant is entirely responsible for the provided boarding facilities. The study came to the conclusion that the rental house's ijarah contract was carried out in accordance with Islamic law. However, the boarding house owner's income decreased as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic's obstacles.