Residential Estate Research Articles

Applying storage-enhanced heat recovery room air-conditioner (SEHRAC) for domestic water heating in residential buildings in Hong Kong

a b s t r a c t Storage-enhanced heat recovery room air-conditioner (SEHRAC) is considered one of the most effective measures to curb energy use in residential dwellings. However, little has been done on optimal design of the storage tank. For application in dense living environment like Hong Kong, another concern is whether or not the amount of recoverable heat can meet the household water heating demand. In this study, a typical residential estate in Hong Kong was chosen for supply and demand analysis. The analysis was based on hour-by-hour simulations using actual building characteristics and previously identified utilization patterns. It was found that with the use of SEHRAC, the daily cumulative recoverable heat far exceeds the daily household water heating demand. For optimal design of the storage tank, an air-conditioner model (REFMOD) was developed to enable ascertaining the operating parameters at the refrigerant side of SEHRAC. Other design requirements of the storage tank including the minimum required heat storage capacity and heat transfer effectiveness were determined. The potential energy and energy cost savings, as well as CO2 emission reduction for wider application of SEHRAC were estimated as 9.3% of the overall contribution of the residential sector in Hong Kong.

Application research of ECOTECT in residential estate planning

With the rapid development of China economy and the constant improvement of living standard in recent years, building energy consumption has already accounted for 46.7% of the total social energy consumption. It is urgent for China to explore the road of building energy conversation. In this paper, based on ECOTECT software, authors have done some beneficial explorations in the scheme design phase from the perspective of residential estate planning. Taking a residential estate in Ma’anshan City, Anhui Province as an example, authors have analyzed meteorological data and energy conservation strategies that are closely related to local environment. To realize the optimization of residential estate planning, some factors have been analyzed, such as building orientation, daylight on building, and natural ventilation condition. By the application of ECOTECT, designers could give full consideration to various ecological energy-saving methods in the early design stage. The results in this paper are useful for both building energy conversation and creating a comfortable living environment in future.

Carbon footprint and embodied energy assessment of a civil works program in a residential estate of Western Australia

Purpose With building construction and demolition waste accounting for 50 % of land fill space, the diversion of reusable materials is essential for Perth”s environment. The reuse and recovery of embodied energy-intensive construction materials during civil engineering works programs can offer significant energy savings and assist in the mitigation of the carbon footprint.

PETA PERSEPSI KONSUMEN TERHADAP ATRIBUT RUMAH TINGGAL DI SURABAYA

This study aimed to map consumer perceptions of residential attributes, namely the neighbourhood, location, price, and physical. The research method was descriptive that data obtained through questionnaires to sample number of 384 respondents in some residential estate of East and West Surabaya. The results showed that consumers prioritize neighbourhood attributes of public facilities (water, electricity, telephone) and social amenities (markets, transportation, places of worship). The most priority of location was the distance to school and traditional markets.

Experiences of ‘Community’ in a Gated Residential Estate

AbstractGated residential estates have become common features of the landscapes of cities around the world. The proliferation of these estates has attracted significant critical attention from urban scholars who have focused in particular on their contribution to urban segregation. Many commentators also question the possibility and existence of the neighbourhood‐based community that is promised to potential residents by estates developers. They argue that it cannot be delivered primarily because meaningful community does not form in circumstances of privatism. In this paper, we examine what community means to the residents of Macquarie Links, a gated residential estate in the Australian city of Sydney. To this end, the paper traces the interplay of contradictions that define the expectation and experience of community and argues that rather than being in conflict, the experience of community for many in this gated estate is actually underpinned by the structures of private governance that define the estate. In other words, not only is community said to exist in this neighbourhood, but also it is not homogeneity and everyday neighbouring that are pivotal but the governance structure of the estate.

The study of height variation on outdoor ventilation for Singapore's high-rise residential housing estates

This article is concerned with external ventilation levels within a multi-story Housing and Development Board (HDB) residential estate, focusing toward a deeper understanding of wind flow with respect to different levels of height variation (HV). This study analyzed through parametric study, using numerical simulations with the realizable k – e turbulence model, the various scenarios of HV within a typical residential HDB estate or precinct. It is found that external wind flow within the precinct for both the pedestrian and mid-height levels are affected differently by the HV value. Some rules of thumbs can be established for HVs in the efficient use of outdoor ventilation.

The comparison of expressed satisfaction and expectations of potential real estate buyers in Slovenia and Japan

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present partial results of a survey conducted in Slovenia and Japan. Its aim is to determine factors, which have a decisive influence on potential acquirers of real estate rights when deciding to purchase real estate. Discussed is the role of personal expectations and the role of satisfaction of potential acquirers of real estate rights regarding factors related to the real estate in which participants live and according to their different cultural identity.Design/methodology/approachThe authors follow the hypothesis that differences in personal expectations and expressed satisfaction of potential acquirers of real estate rights regarding real estate factors according to different cultural identity are statistically significant. The main instrument for measuring the participants' expectations is a questionnaire in which 1,270 participants took part.FindingsBy analysing the results of statistical analyses, the hypothesis is confirmed. Results show that Slovene participants compared to Japanese participants express a higher satisfaction level with the current real estate in which they live and at the same time lower expectations regarding practically all real estate factors. The article explains the difference of the higher expressed satisfaction with the difference in the level of residential estate ownership, which is higher in Slovenia. Also explained is the lower expectations of Slovene participants, with the conclusion that less than one‐third of Slovene participants are willing to give up certain key factors in case of a lower real estate price.Research limitations/implicationsThere are potential risks of error arising from the use of assumptions, limited samples size and data from the secondary resources.Originality/valueThe major contribution of this paper is showing that expressed participants' high satisfaction with residential status does not necessarily generate high expectations regarding real estate factors.

The Influence of Surrounding Buildings on the Natural Ventilation Performance of Residential Dwellings in Hong Kong

Natural ventilation in residential dwellings is very important for occupants’ health and comfort. Previous studies by the authors have concluded that natural ventilation performance in dwellings can be enhanced by positioning the two groups of window openings (bedroom windows and living room windows) in opposite directions or perpendicular to each other; and/or the use of side-hung windows. However, the buildings selected for those studies were located in an isolated site, for the purpose of focused evaluation of the influence of various configuration parameters and window types. However, in Hong Kong, buildings are tightly packed. In this study, the influence of urban environment was thoroughly considered. A residential estate was identified to represent typical characteristics of the urban environment in Hong Kong for CFD modelling and simulations. Bi-variate correlations and K-means cluster analyses were adopted to identify a set of probable local wind conditions, which took into account the combined influence of prevailing wind conditions, urban environment and building levels. Through side-by-side comparison of results obtained with and without considering the influence of surrounding buildings, it was found that surrounding buildings lower the wind power available in the vicinity of buildings by 2.5% to 86.8%, increase the angular spread of prevailing winds and adversely affect natural ventilation in residential dwellings. The increase in the mean age of air (MAA) is 0.6 times to 1.5 times. In respect of influence of openings configurations and window types, the conclusion drawn in this study was found to be in agreement with previous studies.

Mass customization Process for the Social Housing. Potentiality, Critical Points, Research Lines

The demand for lengthening the life cycle of the residential estate, engendered with the economical and housing crisis since the last few years, brings out, in the course of time, the need for conservation and improvement works of the property house performances, through the direct involvement of the users. The possibility of reducing maintenance and adjustment costs may develop into a project resource, consistent to the participation and cooperation principles, identifying social housing interventions. With this aim, the BETHA group of the d’Annunzio University is investigating the potentiality of technological transfer of the ‘mass customization’ process from the industrial products field to the social housing segment, by detecting issues, strategies and opportunities.

Enhancing the Local Economic Development Impacts of Large-Scale Residential Estates in South Africa

Large-scale estate developments have become widespread across South Africa in recent years, and represent significant private investment as well as a potentially substantial source of economic benefit for surrounding communities, many of which are impoverished. This paper uses the planned Blythedale Coastal Resort on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast to explore and illustrate aspects of residential estate developments which hold the most potential for increasing their pro-poor local economic impacts. Symbiotic relationships can be created between communities and developers to ensure sustainable job creation and enterprise development in the construction, servicing, supply and maintenance of these developments.

Residential and Real Estate Industry in Saudi Arabia Using PESTEL and SWOT Models

In the following article, the author has carried out a strategic assessment of residential and real estate construction industry in Saudi Arabia. Beginning with explaining the concept of strategy in different schools of thought, he has used PESTEL and SWOT models to perform his assessment. The author has first scanned the external macro environment of the residential and real estate construction industry in Saudi Arabia using the relevant PESTEL factors and then highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of major firms in the said industry with the help of SWOT model.

Negotiating Community Title: Residents’ Lived Experiences of Private Governance Arrangements in a Master Planned Estate

Residents of private residential estates must negotiate the complex of expectations, rights and responsibilities that comes with the community title legislation that defines the management and structure of these neighbourhoods. Of particular importance is the way in which the governance structure of these estates simultaneously supports and threatens their social and financial viability. Drawing on the findings of research conducted in a privately governed master planned residential estate in Sydney, Australia, this article considers the residents’ lived experience of the community title scheme. It argues that a perceived lack of transparency in the contractual arrangements which residents enter into when they purchase a property within a private estate directly frames a set of expectations that are at odds with their legislative responsibilities. Also evident is the existence of tensions between the demands placed on residents by the structure of private governance that manages and polices the estate and those of the local government that manages the area within which the estate is located. The article concludes that there is a need for policy attention to be given to the development and management of private residential estates in Australia.

Fortress Australia? (In)security and private governance in a gated residential estate

Part of a broader trend towards all-inclusive master planned developments, gated residential estates are an intensely private form of residential development with a degree of securitisation. Gated residential estates have been the topic of intense debate in urban planning and policy circles and the target of fierce criticism for potential exclusionary outcomes as fearful residents lock themselves away from the ills of wider urban society. Crime, a fear of crime and the need for security dominate discussions and understandings of gated residential developments in Australia without much empirical validation. This paper poses two key research questions: does fear of crime and need for increased security drive residents towards gated estates; and what are the lived experiences of security, gates and crime once residing within a gated estate? Based on in-depth research in Macquarie Links (one of Sydney's largest gated estates) this paper offers insights into the lived dimensions of gated estates. The paper explores the attractions and realities of security services and infrastructure, private control over the residential environment and the importance placed by the residents on the ability to protect the nature of their neighbourhood and to protect themselves from any ‘unwanted’ activities or groups. The discussion in this paper demonstrates that for the residents in the study, residing in a secure residential neighbourhood is less about the role and place of physical security and security services, and more to do with protection afforded by the private governance structure of the neighbourhood.

Arte e spazio pubblico. Una riflessione intorno ad un tentativo di "place making": il caso di Beyond project

This article considers the capacity of art to ‘activate’ public space. After first recognising different ways in which art exists in public space and analysing its meaning - as a for depiction, as a space for claims, as a privileged space of relationships to be (re)activated - the text revisits the Dutch Beyond initiative. The project followed the development of a new residential estate, part of the Vinex programme, on the outskirts of Utrecht for almost a decade. It proposed art initiatives and events with the aim of building new awareness, encouraging relationships and above all it anticipated uses and practices in a public space which had not yet been physically constructed. It demonstrated essentially how art has the potential to work as a complex place making tool.

An analytical method to evaluate facility management services for residential buildings

Besides constructed quality and environmental quality, the quality of facilities in residential buildings is influential to the living quality of numerous residents there. The functional quality of the facilities, in turn, is dependent on the quality of their operation and management. A review of the relevant literature and a focus group discussion with Facility Management (FM) practitioners, which were parts of the study reported here, unveiled that prior performance evaluation studies focussed on assessing the outcome of FM services whereas an analytical method suitable for holistic evaluation of the services is lacking. An interview survey with 297 users of a typical residential estate in Hong Kong was carried out to solicit their perceived levels of importance and performance of FM services. The responses were tested using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to isolate those with inconsistent judgments, followed by computing the weightings for various aspects of FM services based on the consistent responses. The calculation of a weighted performance score for benchmarking purposes and a critical evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of FM services, which are crucial for achieving a quality and sustainable built environment, are illustrated.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of the Advance Medical Directive in a Residential Estate in Singapore

This study investigates the knowledge, attitudes and practices of residents in a residential estate in Singapore on the Advance Medical Directive (AMD). A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted with residents in the residential estate of Toa Payoh Lorong 6, Singapore. A stratifi ed random sampling was conducted to obtain a representative sample of the estate. Only residents aged 21 years and older were included. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was conducted, and only those who understood the AMD suffi ciently were further evaluated on their knowledge, attitudes and practices. A total of 414 residents were enrolled (50.1% response rate). Only 37.9% of the participants knew about the AMD prior to this study. Participants who had a higher knowledge level of AMD, did not wish "for an artifi cially prolonged life", "to be kept alive indefi nitely on a life-support machine", wished to "lessen the fi nancial burden of loved ones", "avoid prolonged suffering" and accepted the "imminence of death" were more willing to sign an AMD. However, "religious beliefs", "personal ethical views", "dissuasion by family members" and "unclear terminology in the AMD" discouraged the participants from signing an AMD. After adjusting for signifi cant factors, participants who did not wish "to be kept alive indefi nitely on a life-support machine" and accepted the "imminence of death" were found to correlate signifi cantly with the willingness to sign an AMD [Prevalence Rate Ratio (PRR) = 2.050 [1.140-3.685], P = 0.016; PRR = 2.669 [1.449-4.917], P = 0.02, respectively]. There is a need to increase awareness on the AMD. Public education methods can be improved to inform residents on the implications of the AMD.

Adiposity and Quality of Life: A Case Study from an Urban Center in Nigeria

Objective To determine relationship between adiposity indices and quality of life (QOL) of residents of a housing estate in Lagos, Nigeria. Design Cross-sectional survey employing multistep random sampling method. Setting Urban residential estate. Participants This study involved 900 randomly selected residents of Abesan Housing Estate, Lagos, Nigeria. Main Outcome Measures Body mass index (BMI); waist circumference (WC); waist-to-hip ratio (WHR); triceps skin-fold thickness (TSFT); and abdominal skin-fold thickness (ASFT) were measured using International Standard of Anthropometric Assessment methods. QOL was assessed using Short Form-20. Analysis Data were analyzed using the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. Result The mean age of participants was 37.7 ± 14.3 years, with a range of 20 to 80 years. The mean values of adiposity indices were 24.1 ± 4.3 kg/m 2 (BMI), 11.5 ± 5.3 mm (TSFT), 18.5 ± 6.2 mm (ASFT), 81.8 ± 11.2 cm (WC), and 0.89 ± 0.1 (WHR). Although the overall mean QOL score was 72.02 ± 11.9, women had significantly ( P < .05) lower scores (70.1 ± 5.2) than men (73.5 ± 11.3). There was inverse correlation between QOL and each of the age and adiposity indices. Conclusion and Implications Quality of life of the urban-dweller Nigerians decreased with increasing body adiposity and age. This finding suggests the need to further educate the Nigerian public on the association between high body fat and poor health.

Sole agency vs multi‐agency: an investigation of agency practice across England and Wales

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of different agency practice on agency fees, business efficiency, and housing market liquidity.Design/methodology/approachThe paper studies the effect of sole and multiple agency practices on estate agent efficiency, housing market liquidity, and commission fee levels. The analysis uses the survey data from 2000 to 2006 to investigate the different agency practices across England and Wales and their effect on estate agency business efficiency, housing market liquidity, selling price, and fee levels.FindingsThe empirical analysis confirms that agency practice has a locality bias, that is, some regions are more likely to adopt sole agency practice than other regions. The estate agents with a sole agency practice charge a lower agency fee, help clients to achieve better selling price and are more efficient; whereas multiple agency practice facilitates liquidity in the housing market, but experiences higher fall‐through rate.Research limitations/implicationsThe research focuses on estate agent rather than consumers due to the limitation of the data based on a research project concerning transaction costs designed prior to this analysis.Originality/valueThere is little other research that investigates the residential estate agency practice and its impact on housing market in the past three decades in England and Wales. The findings are a useful guide for practitioners to better understand the issues associated with different agency practices and should enhance business efficiency and performance.

Master‐planned residential developments: Beyond iconic spaces of neoliberalism?

AbstractMaster‐planned residential development has proliferated as a new residential phenomenon in metropolitan areas globally. The trend, the new governance mechanisms it entails and resultant forms of urban development have been critically theorised as products and vectors of neoliberalisation and iconic spaces of the neoliberal city. However, tracing the emergence and enactment of master‐planned residential estate (MPRE) development in Sydney, Australia, this paper suggests that more contingent and contextualised theorisations of such spaces can reveal possibilities for animating a different politics of MPREs. Deploying theorisation sensitive to the multiple drivers, logics and political projects played out through MPRE development in situated contexts, the paper traces the political genesis of these developments in Sydney, outlines the multiple drivers and logics accounting for their growing popularity and points to the salience of the complex performance of land and housing markets in their production. The post‐structural political economy approach used here to investigate MPRE development can overcome the politically constraining effects of the dominant neoliberal critique. It does so, first, by opening analysis up to the importance of logics, actions and contexts that are irreducible to neoliberalism and, second, by gesturing towards the potential for an alternative politics to be animated through mechanisms, techniques and processes of MPRE development habitually associated with neoliberalism.

The owner occupier democracy and violation of building by-laws

This research is based on a case study of Buru Buru estate, the biggest middle class residential estate in Nairobi, Kenya. Casual observations in Buru Buru estate show that there has been indiscriminate design and construction of house extensions with no reference to building by-laws and zoning ordinances. The study has three main objectives namely; to establish the violated building By-laws during construction of the extensions, to establish the owner occupier reasons for these violations and to examine the role of culture and building experts in changing the By-laws. The By-law issues investigated include; the size of the spaces, the building setbacks and heights; lighting, ventilation, internal courts, the plot coverages and the plot ratios. The study set out to establish the extent of the violation of these building by-laws by carrying out a survey and observations of the sampled 89 Buru Buru plots which had extension constructions. The study relied on the descriptive and spatial analysis of the data collected from the sample. The study revealed that building regulations were in conflict with needs and circumstance of the residents of Buru Buru estate. This has led them to violate the By-laws. The study has also established that the most violated building regulations are those relating to setbacks, area of inner courts, area and dimensions of spaces, plot coverage, plot ratio and building height. There is need to re-look at these By-laws through discussions among the building experts, local residents and the Nairobi City Council. This study has recommended that in the process of rewriting the regulations it will be important to incorporate the concerns of local residents and the whole process should be democratic. Finally, the new legislation should take into consideration the traditional culture and the present socio-economic demands of the people and their aesthetic orientations in buildings.