House Building Research Articles

Opportunities and Barriers of Calibrating Residential Building Performance Simulation Models Using Monitored and Survey-Based Occupant Behavioural Data: A Case Study in Northern Spain

The performance gap caused by occupant behaviour (OB) is one of the main challenges to the accuracy of building performance simulations (BPS) models. Calibration of BPS models has shown great improvements in tertiary and single residential buildings. Nevertheless, the calibration in collective residential buildings is still uncertain. This study aims to identify the opportunities and barriers to the calibration of collective residential building BPS models for the analysis of heating energy consumption. For this, the research calibrates a real case study of a social rental housing building located in northern Spain. The method involves the adjustment of input data based on OB clusters, developed by monitorization and survey data and the statistical comparison of the results of normative models, calibrated models and real data. The results show an average improvement of 67% in hourly indoor temperature and 16% in hourly heating energy consumption in calibrated models, but still with a considerable performance gap. The main barriers to a higher accuracy are the wide diversity and lack of uniformity of OB patterns, uncertainty of parameters, and use of auxiliary heating systems. However, deeper monitorization and survey campaigns with the use of OB clusters can be a promising opportunity.

Acculturation of Malay and Javanese Culture in Limas House Building Art: A Comparative Study of Limas Houses and Joglo Limasan Houses

Acculturation of Malay and Javanese Culture in Limas House Building Art: A Comparative Study of Limas Houses and Joglo Limasan Houses

Quantifying the Enhanced Performance of Multifamily Residential Passive House over Conventional Buildings in Terms of Energy Use

In response to escalating energy demands and global warming concerns, the Passive House Standard has emerged as a solution in residential construction, aiming to drastically reduce energy consumption and operational costs primarily through high-performance building envelopes. While a considerable volume of the literature has focused on the Passivhaus Institute (PHI) standards, predominantly in European contexts, there is a gap in research on the Passive House Institute US (Phius) standards, particularly in North American climates. This study conducts a quantitative comparative analysis of two adjacent multifamily residential buildings in Central Pennsylvania, Climate Zone 5A—one built using conventional construction methods and the other following Passive House (PHIUS+ 2015) certification standards—to validate the energy efficiency improvements attributed to Passive House designs. A comparative analysis of the whole building energy use over two years reveals that the Passive House building consumes approximately 50% less energy than its conventional counterpart in terms of whole building energy use and the national median recommended benchmark metric defined by the Energy Star Portfolio Manager. These findings emphasize the potential for significant energy savings and greenhouse gas reductions in residential buildings, highlighting the necessity for policymakers and governments to incentivize the adoption of Passive House standards to achieve environmental sustainability and reduce energy costs for society.

Paleosurface studies of the remains of a building in the Mikhailovsky Cordon settlement

Pedoarchaeological study of the remains of a building on the territory of the Old Slavic site (the settlement of Mik-hailovsky Cordon — the Slavic Borshevo Culture of the late 1st mil. AD) in the Voronezh region were carried out in order to obtain new data on the layout of the settlement, the type of housing building, life sustainability, economy, and residen-tial use. The main purpose of soil research was the identification of the nature of the use of the building and the recon-struction of the economic activities in the adjacent territory. The determination of organic and mineral forms of phos-phates, urease activity, and the quantity of microorganisms of various trophic groups in the ‘natopt’ (trampled soil) at the bottom of the pit and in the soil outside of the building was carried out. It has been established that the most pro-nounced traces of economic activity have been preserved in the soils to the west of the building where the summer stove was located. In this area, the content of phosphates reached 2 mg P2O5/g soil. The soil to the northeast of the construction pit is characterized by the accumulation of organic matter, which is confirmed not only by a high content of organic phosphorus, but also by rather high quantity of saprotrophic bacteria, indicating organic contamination of the soil, which suggests the ingress of organic substrates into the soil (manure, feces, household waste). The values of many indicators of anthropogenic activity inside the building turned out to be unexpectedly low. As such, the low content of phosphates, saprotrophic bacteria and keratinophilic fungi in the analysed ‘natopt’ in the building at the bottom of the pit indicate a low intensity, or periodic use of the premises.

Examining the Impact of Natural Ventilation versus Heat Recovery Ventilation Systems on Indoor Air Quality: A Tiny House Case Study

Adverse health effects can arise from indoor air pollutants, resulting in allergies, asthma, and other respiratory problems among occupants. Concurrently, the energy consumption of residential buildings, particularly concerning heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, significantly contributes to global energy usage. To address these intertwined challenges, heat recovery ventilation (HRV) has emerged as a viable solution to reduce heating and cooling demands while providing fresh ventilation rates. This study aims to investigate the indoor air quality (IAQ) of an experimental tiny house building equipped with an HRV unit by simulating real-life scenarios contributing to IAQ. The research evaluates the effectiveness of HRV compared to natural ventilation in managing particle matter (PM), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), formaldehyde (CH2O), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. This research significantly contributes to the understanding of the different ventilation strategies’ impact on IAQ in tiny houses and offers valuable insights for improving living conditions in a unique building typology that is underrepresented in the research literature.

Re-emergence and influencing factors of mountain-type zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis in the extension region of Loess Plateau, China.

To understand the epidemiological distribution characteristics of mountain-type zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (MT-ZVL) in Yangquan City, Shanxi Province, China, from 2006 to 2021, to explore the influencing factors leading to the re-emergence of the epidemic, and to provide a basis for the formulation of targeted control strategies. Case information spanning from 2006 to 2021 in Yangquan City was collected for a retrospective case-control study conducted from June to September 2022. A 1:3 matched ratio was employed. A questionnaire was utilized to gather data on basic information, demographic characteristics, awareness of MT-ZVL knowledge, residence, and dog breeding and living habits. The study employed a multifactorial conditional stepwise logistic regression model to analyze the influencing factors. A total of 508 subjects was analyzed. Risk factors for MT-ZVL included the use of soil/stone/concrete as building materials (OR = 3.932), presence of nearby empty/stone stack houses (OR = 2.515), dog breeding (OR = 4.215), presence of stray dogs (OR = 2.767), and neighbor's dog breeding (OR = 1.953). Protective factors comprised knowledge of MT-ZVL (OR = 0.113) and using mosquito repellents (OR = 0.388). The findings indicate significant associations between environmental and behavioral factors and MT-ZVL incidence in Yangquan City, Shanxi Province, China, from 2006 to 2021. These results underscore the importance of public awareness campaigns and targeted interventions aimed at reducing exposure to risk factors and promoting protective measures to mitigate the re-emergence of MT-ZVL outbreaks. House building materials, presence of neighboring empty houses, breeding domestic dogs and distribution of stray dogs surrounding the home are risk factors for MT-ZVL. Awareness of MT-ZVL and implementation of preventive measures during outdoor activities in summer and autumn are protective and may reduce the risk of MT-ZVL.

Creative House Strategy For Increasing The Creativity Of Micro, Small And Medium Enterprises (Umkm) Pappandangan Village Polman District

The process of building the Village Creative House will have a new icon in increasing visitors and the economy of the local community. The function of the Village Creative House is as a place for training, mentoring, a place for production, a place for marketing the community's creative products and a place for the incubation process for creative products in Pappandangan village. This activity involved human resources from the Youth, Sports and Tourism Department of Polewali Mandar Regency, lecturers and students from Al Asyariah Mandar University as well as residents of Pappadangan village. The sub-activities in making Creative Houses are: village creative house building design, interior creation, wall decoration design, production training place layout, training place layout, marketing place creation layout. Apart from that, assistance is also provided to the community, namely: assistance to village art studios, assistance in processing typical village foods, assistance in processing Gadum plants (Dioscorea hispida) into chips and flour.

Homelessness is a health crisis: why hospitals are resorting to building housing.

Homelessness is a health crisis: why hospitals are resorting to building housing.

The symbolic meanings and values in the Momayango Bele procession of the Gorontalo community and its implications on the learning of local wisdom in school

This research is intended to obtain a description of (a) the meaning of verbal and nonverbal symbols of the values contained in the Momayango Bele process, (b) the meaning of nonverbal symbols in the Momayango Bele process, and (c) the implications for learning local wisdom in schools. The study employed a descriptive method with a type of qualitative research that is used to reveal and describe how the payango tradition determines people's houses in Gorontalo and the extent to which the payango tradition is applied as well as the stages of traditional procedures in building a house. The data were obtained from informants/speakers through the interview, the recording and observation of data obtained then analyzed. Based on the research results, the Momayango Bele procession is a process of measuring and making foundation patterns and laying the first stone for house building in the Gorontalo community. The symbols in the Momayango Bele procession contain complex and deep meanings. The impact of the Momayango Bele procession on the local community is to preserve their cultural identity.

Building benchmarking and energy performance: Analysis of social and affordable housing in British Columbia, Canada

This research assesses the energy performance of social and affordable housing by conducting quantitative analysis of 23 community housing buildings in British Columbia (BC) using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. The study sampled community housing buildings, tracked utility bills from 2019 to 2022, and analyzed weather-normalized energy consumption. We find that high-rise buildings in our dataset performed worse compared to other buildings in the dataset and to market housing buildings in BC. We attribute these differences to variability in building characteristics, construction methods, and mechanical systems. Results also show that average energy consumption per dwelling unit in community housing buildings is lower than the BC average, indicating that residents in social and affordable housing use less energy. This could be linked to the lack of amenities in community housing like air conditioning as well as possible efforts taken by residents to reduce utility bills by using less energy. These results demonstrate that it is important to retrofit these buildings for the sake of building and environmental performance but also, and perhaps more critically, to improve the living conditions of those who live in social and affordable housing. Limited understanding of the influence of occupant behaviour on energy performance is a study limitation warranting further study.

Sarayköy Halkevi Building According to Presidential State Archive Documents

With this article, the Sarayköy Halkevi Building, which has not survived to the present day, has been included in the art and architectural history inventory for the first time based on the documents of the Presidential State Archives. The text of the article consists of five sections in general terms. In the introduction section, information about the general course and sections of the article is given, and in the second section, the phenomenon of public houses in general and the establishment process of public houses are mentioned. In the third section, which can also be considered as a catalog, the establishment of Sarayköy Halkevi and the architectural features of the Halkevi building are mentioned. In the fourth section, comparisons are made with other public house buildings that have survived / not survived to the present day, and in the conclusion section, the original value of the study is mentioned.

PromptNet: Prompt Learning for Roof Photovoltaic Potential Assessment

An increasing number of works have been proposed to use remote sensing images to assess the potential for rooftop Photovoltaic (PV) energy development in buildings. However, most methods focus mainly on the remote sensing images themselves, ignoring the key prior information of building type. Thus most works with Deeplabv3+ as backbone present suboptimal performance. To overcome this challenge, we propose a novel approach PromptNet that embeds the building types as prior knowledge and feed it into prompt learning for predict roof PV energy Potential. Specifically, a pre-trained semantic segmentation network, Deeplabv3+, is first constructed to detect potential building rooftops from remote sensing images. Then, the buildings are categorized into five types based on their functions, including government buildings, public buildings, industrial and commercial factories, agricultural housing, and other building types. Finally, by using prompt learning, the prior knowledge of buildings is established and associated with the rooftops that are suitable for PV energy development. This is embedded into a deep learning network, filtering out unsuitable rooftops, and significantly improving the accuracy of rooftop PV energy development. Comprehensive experiments show that the proposed method achieves 81.18% accuracy and 76.90% IOU in predicting the potential for rooftop PV energy, a 10.97% improvement in IoU compared to the backbone without prior knowledge.

Project Environmental Factors, And Performance of Real Estate Development Housing Projects in Kenya; A Case of Real Estate Construction Housing Projects in Busia County, Kenya

This study aimed at providing practical strategies for reducing the influence of environmental factors on real estate housing building projects in Busia County. Data for this study was collected via focus groups, interview schedules, and questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Respondents indicated agreement on a Likert scale that project environmental elements affect the success of real estate building housing projects in Busia County. The data analysis of the research indicated that project environmental variables somewhat impacted the performance of these projects. The research participants' views indicated a strong positive correlation (r=0.779) between Project Environmental Factors and Performance of real estate building housing projects in Busia County, with a statistically significant p-value of 0.000 < α=0.05. This indicates a strong correlation between the two variables, which back the alternative hypothesis and dismisses the null hypothesis.

The Rationality Of The Judge's Decision States That Good Faith Is The Basis For Canceling The Lease Agreement For Land And Buildings Under His Control

In general, when people make written agreements regarding the rental of land and house buildings, they are usually made privately, some of which are notarized (Notarial Deeds), some parties choose to make written agreements regarding the rental of land and house buildings. made by hand with sufficient stamp duty. One example of the Supreme Court Decision Number 1078 K/Pdt/2021, the basis of the lawsuit filed by the Plaintiff is Bad Faith committed by the owner of the rental object in the lease extension agreement for the land and building under his control, then the actions or actions of the owner of the leased object can be categorized as an act of breach of contract or breach of contract. This research aims to find out whether there is a rational basis for the judge's decision which states good faith as a basis for canceling land and building lease agreements based on Supreme Court Decision Number 1078 K/Pdt/2021. This research method uses normative juridical research using a case approach. The analysis technique used is the syllogism method and interpretation using deductive thinking patterns. The results of the research and discussion can be concluded that legal rationality is needed by judges in carrying out their considerations in order to determine decisions that contain the values ​​of justice and the law that applies in Indonesia. This does not only apply to one type of legal rationality but also applies to other types. The use of this type of legal rationality requires looking at the relationship between facts, norms, morals and doctrine in considering the judge's decision. The issue of default used in the main issue in the decision becomes a boomerang for the tenant, in this case the tenant, because there is no legal force in the rental agreement signed by the tenant with the renting party. Different conditions will occur if the rental agreement is made before a notary and explains that they have entered into an agreement and asks the Notary to make a deed, then this deed is a deed made before a Notary (Notarial Deed). So in this case, the parties to the agreement have legal certainty and are therefore legally protected, so that if a dispute occurs in the implementation of the agreement, the judge with his decision can force the violating party to carry out its rights and obligations according to the agreement.

THE ‘OSTEOSTASIS’ AND ITS FIVE PRINCIPLES: APPLICATION IN LIMB LENGTHENING

IntroductionHumans Functions (locomotion, protection of organs, reproduction) require a strong support system (bones). The ‘Osteostasis’ is the ability of maintaining the bone structure, its mechanical characteristics and function. Five principles are required for an efficient bone system:Basic Requirements:1) Stability and 2) Function. Repair System (like house building in desert or sea):3) Roads (vessels), 4) Materials (calories, proteins), 5) Workers (bone cells).Analysis of bone problems through these principles bring to optimised treatments.Materials & MethodsMeasurements (>700 lengthening, 32-year follow-up, Full WB Albizzia/G-Nails FWBAG): Bone-DEXA, WB conditions, muscle, fat, etc.Principle-1. Solid bone replacement with a 100% biocompatible and reliable FWBAG with sports (POD0).Principle-2. Bone, Muscle & neural integrity for function Principle-3. Vascular flow lesions induce non-healing (arteriography). Muscle activity accounts for 90% of bone blood flow, ×10 by sports. Required: Checks (arteriography) and treatments (training)Principle-4. Food (NRV Kcal × 2–3, 20–25% proteins).Principle-5. Maintain bone cells and increase them. Suppress ‘opening’, ‘venting’, ‘drainages’.ResultsPrinciple1. Nail fracture (1.2%), nail dysfunction (0%) with FWBAG.Principle2. Intensive sports preop and from POD0 - Principle3. Increased preop vascular supply & muscle force, postop resistance sports fasten recovery. Wheel-chair or low activity decreases healing.Principle4. 6–9 cm circumference loss (non WB-nails or no proper training); 0 cm circumference loss (gain <10 cm) with intense resistance training + high calory intake. - Principle5. Bone cells preservation (no opening, IM saw, increasing bone cells) allow Healing Index down to 8D/cm.ConclusionsThe ‘5P’ allow reaching treatment targets by optimisation of problem solving, maintaining Osteostasis. What would I like or tolerate for me? How can I reach it? Full WB and sports from POD0 was a target 38 years-ago, still not enforced by most of us. Resistance sports, high-calory intake suppress muscle loss and fasten healing, thanks to muscle blood flow and the ‘5P’.

A Study of Consumer Behavior: Preferences for Vernacular and Modern Architecture in Hot and Dry Indian Regions

Global warming and energy shortages have become major global problems, with the building industry being a major energy consumer. Vernacular architecture, which has been developed over generations, is more adaptable to changing environments, including building orientation, form, spacing, layout orientation, and climatic features. This approach considers the home's aesthetics, physical characteristics, and social purposes, resulting in unique designs in hot, arid climate locations. Examples include Rajasthan and Gujarat, which use locally produced sandstone and lime, Jaali screens, and courtyard designs. Modern architecture in these areas integrates advanced materials, shading technologies, passive cooling techniques, and sustainable energy systems. This study aims to examine vernacularism's climatic adaptation, focusing on climatic adaptive technology and its potential in house shape, construction method, building components, and materials. The findings have implications for architects, urban planners, and policymakers seeking to create resilient and sustainable built environments that respect cultural identity while embracing innovation and local knowledge. The essay will examine 23 previous studies and the work of architects who have adapted traditional and vernacular architecture to create a new identity in architecture, showcasing the blending of traditional and vernacular architectural knowledge with contemporary technology and materials.

Architectural and Configurational Study of Senior Housing with Steel Volumetric Modular Technology: Towards Age-Ready and Process-Efficient Sustainable Living

The aging population requires housing developments that can adapt to their changing needs. The study examines the use of steel volumetric modular technology to construct collective senior housing for independent, sustainable living. The authors explore the qualities of senior housing projects through a literature survey and case studies. Projects appreciated in the architectural industry, illustrating the best practices, are considered. For the development part, the feasible design variants are proposed, BIM modeled, and expertly assessed. Optimization of the types and numbers of modules is carried out to make the most effective use. The potential for generating appropriate flow and social interaction in the shared spaces is also tested. The results prove that a single dwelling unit may embody many features of a suitable architecture for older adults and be used to construct collective senior housing buildings. However, a 3D module with two rooms on either end and a corridor in the middle (the most economical form of 3D prefabrication) is unsuitable for senior housing. Additionally, a narrow 3D module cannot accommodate a complete dwelling unit due to increased dimension needs. Designers and builders must balance economics with the requirements of aging residents to widen the range of volumetric prefabrication areas.

The prevalence and association of measured and perceived indoor air quality, housing characteristics, and residents’ behavior and health

BackgroundIn social housing buildings, poor indoor air quality (IAQ) has been shown to be more prevalent, and residents living in social housing areas are often more vulnerable and susceptible to adverse health effects from IAQ.AimTo examine the state and the association of measured and perceived IAQ, how housing characteristics and residents' behavior are associated with IAQ, and the association with residents' health.MethodThe HOME-Health study is a cross-sectional study among residents living in social housing in Denmark (n = 432). Seasonal measurements examined the IAQ by a 14-day period measuring carbon dioxide (CO2), temperature (TP), relative humidity (RH), and air change rate. Residents' self-reported behavior, comfort, and health were obtained from a structured interview.ResultsThermal discomfort and draught were the most common challenges. During summer, the mean TP was higher, the mean RH was lower, and residents more frequently reported dry air in homes where it was not possible to create cross ventilation. There were a higher mean CO2 and RH when crowdedness increased, particularly during winter. In addition, the proportion of residents reporting dry air was higher when CO2-level was below 1,000 ppm. When the mean RH-level was above 50%, a higher proportion of residents reported experiencing damp air, and when the mean RH-level was below 40% residents more frequently reported dry air. Perception of bad air quality was higher when the mean CO2-level exceeded 1,000 ppm. Additionally, residents reported being most thermally comfortable when the TP was within the range of 20–20.99°C and least comfortable within a range of 22–22.99°C. The residents' perceived experience of impaired IAQ was associated with negative general health symptoms.ConclusionIt is key that homes have the capability to create cross ventilation in order to allow for proper ventilation and to avoid overheating. When evaluating IAQ it is important to not only consider the measured parameters but to also include the residents' behavior and perception of IAQ as these both are related to the actual IAQ and associated health effects.

House building techniques for achieving sustainable development goals

AbstractThis study aims to design and build a pilot home according to the United Nations sustainable development goals (UN SDGs). The research methodology is a nature‐oriented housing policy to promote renewable energy consumption in homes for cleaner environments. This study analyzes the structural elements of traditional homes in the eastern south of Iran. This study examines the UN SDGs in planning and designing the model to find the advantages of nature‐oriented constructions compared to the current harmful development projects damaging nature, environments, ecosystems, and the earth. The building model presented in this paper is in harmony with the UN SDGs. The model provides an architectural and planning procedure to prevent the earth from damaging fossil consumption‐built environments in the world. Calculations show that the housing pilot model saves USD 3600 in energy consumption per household on average. The outcomes of this study prove the hypothesis that the use of renewable energy in homes is beneficial economically and environmentally. This study implicates housing policies in shifting planning and design methods toward UN SDGs. Policies are applicable globally in the housing programs.

Adaptive Reuse of High-Rise Buildings for Housing: A Study of Istanbul Central Business District

The abrupt shift to remote work due to the Covid-19 pandemic increased vacant office spaces globally, especially in high-rent central business districts (CBDs). These vacant office spaces offer the potential for conversion into housing, addressing the shortage of affordable housing in central areas. Additionally, this topic presents a unique experimental ground for architecture students. This study focuses on the Istanbul CBD as a case study, examining the historical developments that led to a rise in office vacancy rates and housing inequality, and exploring the potential for adaptive reuse of these vacant office buildings. A key focus of this study is to underline the pedagogical value of adaptive reuse, highlighting how such projects can inspire more diverse and equitable housing models, fostering experimental and sustainable design approaches. It systematically evaluates the outcomes of a 4th-year architectural design studio that focuses on the adaptive reuse of the Tat Towers in the Istanbul CBD, a structurally vacant high-rise office building, and asks: How does the context of adaptive reuse enable a different design approach, and, potentially, new spatial norms and standards to emerge, and how might this hold a pedagogical value for architecture education? Following these questions, the article discusses how norms and standards are not only culturally but also typologically contextual, and how the students have explored how norms and standards might change, outlining new design approaches to adaptive reuse.