Multifamily Housing Research Articles

Consolidated Multifamily Housing Technical Assistance Grant Program (USDA)

Consolidated Multifamily Housing Technical Assistance Grant Program (USDA)

Mitigating risks and breaking barriers, energy supply contracting in multifamily houses: an ecosystem perspective

Mitigating risks and breaking barriers, energy supply contracting in multifamily houses: an ecosystem perspective

A simplified method for calculating air conditioning load of multi-family housing community considering the spatiotemporal distribution of occupants

Occupant behavior is considered a vital factor influencing housing energy consumption by adjusting the indoor thermal environment and the use of service system. Multi-family housing is popular in the hot summer and cold winter (HSCW) zone of China, where residents typically adopt a “partial time, partial space” approach to environmental control. Therefore, the behavioral differences among families pose challenges for predicting hourly energy consumption at community scale. Taking Changsha, a typical city in the HSCW zone, as an example, this study investigates and summarizes the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of multi-family occupants, analyzing their impact on air conditioning (AC) load under ideal environmental control conditions (i.e., AC is on where is occupied). Hourly AC load modified equations and multi-family occupancy modified coefficients are introduced to construct a method for estimating hourly AC load of residential communities that comprehensively considers the spatiotemporal distribution of multi-family occupants. The results show that the proposed method achieves fitting degrees of 87%-92.4% for predicting heating load and 77.9%-84.9% for predicting cooling load. This method not only dramatically reduces the workload and time required for physical modeling of residential communities, but also enables fast and refined simulation of the hourly AC load.

집합주택의 공간계획을 위한 교육콘텐츠 선호도연구

This study investigated and analyzed literature and precedent cases of Korean and foreign multi-family housing to study the impact of integrating educational contents and space planning in collective houses on residents' lives. Based on the results, this study suggests directions for improving the educational environment in Korean multi-family housing that can increase residential satisfaction. The research methods used were surveys and in-depth interviews with experts. The collected data were subjected to frequency analysis using SPSS 28.0. The results of the survey, which was conducted through a structured online questionnaire, confirmed that resident demand-driven Educational program management can increase resident engagement and housing satisfaction, and highlighted the importance of building sustainable multi-family housing and educational community spaces.

A Study on the Design Elements of Pet-Friendly Residential Unit Plans in Multi-Family Housing

A Study on the Design Elements of Pet-Friendly Residential Unit Plans in Multi-Family Housing

Reducing the land-use impact of wooden buildings with fast-growing biobased materials: A Danish case study

This study explores the potential of the reduced demand for land and increase in biogenic CO2 storage for incorporating crop-based products in wooden buildings. It uses case studies to create a material-flow analysis of future Danish building stock with four market-implementation scenarios. Alternative biobased materials show reductions in the land requirements and improved CO2 storage, especially for single-family and multifamily houses. This causes a decrease of 50–61 % in the use of wooded land. Danish straw can supply almost a 50 % implementation, rising to 100 % when combined with grass materials. Building designers and planners are encouraged to prioritize fast-growing biobased materials to minimize the requirements for land in wooden buildings. To achieve this, policy-makers should harmonize inclusive biobased building codes, upskill the workforce and financially support pre-approved solutions. Equally important is to investigate the cross-sectoral synergies between construction and agriculture to govern land for its enhanced environmental and social benefits.

Seasonal indoor air quality, self-reported health and comfort amongst tenants living at Danish multi-family social housing sites

Studies have identified seasonal differences between the indoor environment and residents’ comfort, as well as an association between indoor air quality (IAQ) and residents’ overall health. Furthermore, measured IAQ is not always aligned with perceived IAQ. The HOME-Health study is a cross-sectional study with seasonal measurements of IAQ amongst residents living in social housing. The aim is to describe and analyse measured and perceived IAQ, and residents’ health symptoms. We found a lower relative humidity, temperature (TP) and air change level (h−1) level, and a higher carbon dioxide (CO2) level during winter compared to summer. In general, higher IAQ levels were measured in apartments with increased crowdedness. The inability to be able to create cross ventilation increased TP, and a larger number of rooms decreased TP. Overall, there was no clear alignment between measured and perceived IAQ, but we found a trend that higher CO2-levels led to a perception of poor IAQ especially during summer. Overall, draught and thermal discomfort were the most common complaints. Self-reported humidity was increased during winter and was associated with nasal and respiratory symptoms, whereas self-reported humidity during summer was associated with fatigue and dermal symptoms. Findings show challenges with IAQ in Danish social housing that are associated with negative health issues.

Examining Health Differences Among Older Adults with Federal Rental Assistance in the United States.

About 1.8 million older adults receive rental assistance in the United States, but surprisingly little is known about their health, especially among the growing number of older housing choice voucher (HCV) holders. This is the first known study to use nationally representative data (2006-2018) from the National Health Interview Survey merged with Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administrative data to describe the health of older HUD renters (N = 4,582) living in public housing, multifamily housing, or receiving an HCV. Logistic regression models were used to examine potential health differences by HUD program type. Contrary to expectations, the results suggest that older HCV holders were more likely to experience health challenges compared to older adults with project-based assistance. The results bring awareness to the health challenges experienced by older HCV holders and emphasize the need for future research to examine why older HCV holders are more likely to experience these health challenges. Policy makers and program administrators must consider how the HCV program has significantly aged in the past two decades and consider what program and policy changes are necessary to ensure that older adults have access to affordable housing that matches their changing needs and preferences.

Unearthing low-density multifamily housing as effective housing options in Saudi Arabia: Research prospective by systematic literature review

Unearthing low-density multifamily housing as effective housing options in Saudi Arabia: Research prospective by systematic literature review

Morphology and photovoltaic architectural integration: students’ explorations on the ‘fifth façade’ in Lima’s multi-family projects

The aesthetic integration of solar systems with multi-family buildings remains rare in Latin American countries. This article considers sixty-five projects by architecture students in Lima (Peru) to establish compositional criteria using typological classifications of the solar system layout on the roofs, volumetric composition, and their relationship with façades and lower spaces. The results show a wide range of variables that must be resolved. However, there are limitations to understanding this integration when dealing with the inclination of roofs as well as the coherence and geometric arrangement in irregular configurations. More emphasis is required on understanding the interior organisation and its implications for solar systems when designing multi-family houses. Previous research on the quantification of solar incidence has already been published; however, more research for further aesthetic assessments in medium-density multi-family dwellings could be carried out in the future.

Toward just and equitable mobility: Socioeconomic and perceptual barriers for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure in the United States

Based on a large-scale public survey, we identify and quantify the significance of key factors associated with the deployment of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. Our results indicate that individual characteristics, such as income, age, region, and single vs. multi-family housing type can significantly affect electric vehicle purchase preferences, especially those concerning overnight charging and perceptions of benefits and barriers. Moreover, our results challenge earlier findings in the literature by showing how certain elements, such as expected electric driving range, certain travel behaviors (e.g., driving distance, destination types), the most common perceived benefits (e.g., cleaner air) or barriers (e.g., reliability concerns), and preferred location for public charging seem to not vary much or at all with the socioeconomic, demographic, and geographical variables examined in this study. We conclude with the implications for policies to advance equitable vehicle electrification. Our findings underscore the importance of lower-cost models of electric vehicles, home and public charging access, charging infrastructure planning, more integrated analysis of interlinked housing and transportation needs and solutions, the availability of alternative transportation modes, and the potential role of gas stations for electric vehicles. We encourage others to build on these results and have shared our complete survey instrument as an added contribution.

Using Nighttime Light Data to Explore the Extent of Power Outages in the Florida Panhandle after 2018 Hurricane Michael

The destructive forces of tropical cyclones can have significant impacts on the land, contributing to degradation through various mechanisms such as erosion, debris, loss of vegetation, and widespread damage to infrastructure. Storm surge and flooding can wash away buildings and other structures, deposit debris and sediments, and contaminate freshwater resources, making them unsuitable for both human use and agriculture. High winds and flooding often damage electrical disubstations and transformers, leading to disruptions in electricity supply. Restoration can take days or even weeks, depending on the extent of the damage and the resources available. In the meantime, communities affected by power outages may experience difficulties accessing essential services and maintaining communication. In this study, we used a weighted maximum likelihood classification algorithm to reclassify NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey Emergency Response Imagery scenes into debris, sand, water, trees, and roofs to assess the extent of the damage around Mexico Beach, Florida, following the 2018 Hurricane Michael. NASA’s Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Day/Night Band (DNB) was processed to estimate power outage duration and rate of restoration in the Florida Panhandle based on the 7-day moving averages. Percent loss of electrical service at a neighborhood level was estimated using the 2013–2017 American Community Survey block group data. Spatial lag models were employed to examine the association between restoration rates and socioeconomic factors. The analysis revealed notable differences in power-restoration rates between urbanized and rural areas and between disadvantaged and more affluent communities. The findings indicated that block groups with higher proportions of minorities, multi-family housing units, rural locations, and households receiving public assistance experienced slower restoration of power compared to urban and more affluent neighborhoods. These results underscore the importance of integrating socioeconomic factors into disaster preparedness and recovery-planning efforts, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to mitigate disparities in recovery times following natural disasters.

Laboratory measurement of treadmill noise under several speeds, runners, and floor coverings

Treadmills are an important generator of noise in the retail fitness and multi-family housing environments. Field studies have demonstrated that treadmills have a low-frequency sound characteristic, and treadmill use can lead to neighboring-occupant annoyance and necessitate consideration in building design and space planning. This work presents sound level measurements of a treadmill in operation to report sound levels and the effect of runner speed, runner cadence, and floor covering. Tests were conducted on an elevated 6-inch concrete slab in a vertical laboratory setting, and results are in terms of measured SPL in the lower room. Runner speed and floor covering were confirmed to be relevant variables in sound levels due to treadmill noise. Spectral shapes in multiple tests were found to be similar despite presence and composition of floor covering. Results on the effect of runner cadence are not conclusive. SPL was lower than expected due to the relatively stiff structural floor, and future testing should continue to pursue higher source levels.

Reducing residential cooling demand in a sprawling desert city through vertical urban densification

Traditional desert cities used a compact urban form since it provides benefits in terms of thermal comfort both in urban and interior spaces. However, many current desert cities have shifted to a sprawling model with isolated low-rise buildings, leading to longer travel distances, increased land use, inadequate public space, and higher demand for building cooling. Our study aims to investigate how vertical urban densification can reduce residential cooling demand in hot-dry regions. To achieve this, we compared single-family houses with high-rise multi-family houses in Hermosillo, Mexico. Eight case studies of real houses were selected, representing the city's building stock, including one- and two-story single-family houses, and high-rise multi-family houses. We use dynamic energy simulations to assess the effectiveness of changing building's shape against improving its insulation. Our results indicate that increasing vertical density leads to a reduction in the envelope-to-volume ratio, resulting in a significant decrease in cooling demand. Moving from a one-story single-family house to a high-rise multi-family house can lead to a 72 % reduction in annual cooling demand. Matching the façade material properties of single-family houses and multi-family houses reduces the cooling demands of the single-family houses by 16 %–31 %. However, they still have higher cooling demands compared to high-rise multi-family houses, suggesting that building form has a greater impact on cooling than thermal insulation. Our findings highlight the substantial energy savings achievable by transitioning from detached single-family houses to high-rise multi-family developments in desert cities.

Redefining the Home: Sustainable Interior Design in Multifamily Housing Systematic Review

This study investigates the impact of sustainable interior design on family well-being in multifamily housing, focusing on its contribution to environmental sustainability and improving quality of life. Its main objective is to synthesize recent research on how ecological approaches in interior design promote energy efficiency and use sustainable materials to optimize living spaces. Using the PRISMA methodology for the systematic review, studies were analyzed that highlight practices such as the integration of renewable energies and the use of local materials, which benefit the economy and the environment. The results reveal that such practices not only reduce costs and promote local employment, but also enhance occupational well-being. The conclusions emphasize the need to reconfigure residential design to face contemporary challenges and enhance sustainability. This study proposes new directions for future research on sustainable design, highlighting its impact on quality of life and its strategic importance for global sustainability.

Multi-Family Housing Environment and Physical Activity: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

To identify environmental features of multi-family housing (MFH) and their surrounding neighborhoods that influence residents' physical activity (PA). Articles published between January 2000 and September 2023 were identified from major social science, medical, health, behavioral science, and urban studies databases. Studies were included if they (a) were empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals and written in English; (b) focused on the MFH environment or the surrounding neighborhood; and (c) had at least one PA outcome. Data was extracted regarding the study objective, location, study sample, research design, results related to MFH and neighborhood environment, and limitations. Descriptive summary of study characteristics and analysis to identify emerging themes at three spatial scales (i.e., building, site, and neighborhood). Findings from 35 identified articles revealed factors influencing MFH residents' PA. On the building level, typology (apartment, townhouse) and tenure (public, market rent) showed contrasting correlations with PA in different age groups. On the site level, the presence of PA facilities and safe, walking-friendly environments promoted PA. On the neighborhood level, safety, quality of PA and pedestrian infrastructure, upkeep, air quality, aesthetics, neighborhood satisfaction, street connectivity, walkability, land use mix, density, and public transport promoted PA. Study findings highlight the importance of the MFH environments in promoting PA, especially in older adults and young children. With increasing housing demand, understanding diverse MFH typologies and the impact of interventions on multi-spatial scales can help promote healthy and activity-friendly communities.

Learning from the Past, Looking to Resilience: Housing in Serbia in the Post-Pandemic Era

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly reshaped life across the globe, significantly influencing the future of housing. The enactment and densification of diverse activities within one place have resulted in varying degrees of conflict between the built and social environment. This conflict is directly related to the degree of housing adaptability to new life, work, and leisure conditions. Movement restrictions and distance learning have significantly impacted the young population, which is susceptible to ‘enforced togetherness’ conditions. However, studies on post-pandemic housing in Serbia are rare. This paper investigates the relationship between the built and social environment, focusing on current trends in multi-family housing from the perspective of the progressive change of life standards in the post-pandemic era. It also includes a survey of the living conditions of architecture students in Serbia during lockdown and distance learning, offering insights into the impact of the physical environment on virus transmission and social dynamics. The main objective of this study is to formulate guidelines for developing a resilient housing model in Serbia that will address both current and future crises. From the findings, it can be concluded that radical changes in housing policy are necessary to enable less interdependence among layers within the system striving to be resilient.

Development and optimization of an energy saving strategy for social housing applications by water source-heat pump integrating photovoltaic-thermal panels

Residential buildings account for 84 % of Italy's built environment, playing a pivotal role in the EU's aim to cut GHG emissions by 55 % through enhanced energy efficiency and climate adaptation. This necessitates comprehensive energy retrofit initiatives, especially in sectors like social housing, which has been relatively overlooked in terms of energy efficiency strategies. This study focuses on a multi-story building from the 1980s in Rome, implementing an innovative energy system proposed by the RESHeat European project. This system, aimed at standardizing energy retrofits for late 20th-century social housing, leverages the underexplored potential of water-source heat pump (WSHP) systems. The novelty of this research extends to its examination of multi-family housing, a sector that has seen less attention compared to public spaces and smaller residential buildings. Through experimental validation and annual dynamic simulations using TRNSYS and Simulink, the research compares the existing heating system with a proposed upgrade that includes a WSHP and Photovoltaic-Thermal (PVT) panels. This upgrade demonstrated a significant efficiency improvement, achieving an annual COP of 6.1 for the WSHP and a 36 % Primary Energy Savings (PES) from the PVT panels, showcasing the effectiveness of these technologies in enhancing the energy profile of multi-family residential buildings.

Transit-oriented development and effective supply on the tenant-occupied multifamily housing market in Washington, DC

ABSTRACT A range of socioeconomic factors, including income distribution, productivity and land use policies, are thought to influence the development of contemporary multifamily housing markets in the United States. Focusing on Washington, DC, as a case study, we use data from the American Community Survey to assemble socioeconomic panel datasets for the years 2010–2019. Through spatial regression analysis, we explore which socioeconomic measures and land use policies are associated with the effective supply of tenant-occupied multifamily housing. We interpret our findings considering issues such as displacement, lessor habit formation, demographic shifts and the uneven growth of transit-oriented housing in DC's current housing landscape.

Uniform Modeling of Heat Production Costs in Single-Family and Multi-Family Houses

To ensure a fair and extensive comparison of different heating systems four representative buildings including their heat demand for space heating and domestic hot water were defined. A model for the heat production costs has been developed based on existing methods like the VDI 2067 part 1 [1] and the simplified approach for the calculation of the "Levelised Cost of Heat" (LCoH) of the IEA SHC Task 54 "Price Cost reduction in solar thermal systems" [2]. The developed model includes the costs of purchase, installation, operation, maintenance and disposal and was implemented in an EXCEL calculation tool which enables the calculation of the total life cycle costs (LCC), the levelized cost of heat (LCoH) and the CO2 emissions over the lifetime of the system.