Small House Research Articles

Small green housing makes a big difference: the impact of natural environmental uncertainty on consumers' willingness to purchase green housing

PurposeThe residential sector is a principal contributor to global energy consumption, underscoring the critical importance of promoting green housing initiatives to mitigate energy use and environmental degradation. The prevalence of uncertainty in the natural environment, exemplified by phenomena like extreme weather events, highlights the urgent need for adaptive strategies and sustainable practices to mitigate the impact on human communities and ecosystems. Against this backdrop, this paper presents a theoretical framework examining the influence of natural environmental uncertainty on consumers' willingness to purchase green housing.Design/methodology/approachThrough three experiments, this study modeled the mechanism by which the natural environment uncertainty affects consumers' willingness to purchase green housing, and then verified the mediating effect of the threat of ontological security and the moderating effect of the degree of consumers' natural connectedness.FindingsThis paper concludes (1) natural environmental uncertainty exerts a significant positive impact on the willingness to purchase green housing, with the threat to ontological security serving as a pivotal mediating variable; (2) the degree of natural connectedness significantly moderates the effect of ontological security threats on the purchasing intent for green housing.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the marketing literature by offering a novel perspective on the impact of natural environmental uncertainty on consumer behavior, augmenting the body of knowledge concerning the determinants of green housing purchase intentions, and provides new ideas for marketers.

Meeting places against the background of loneliness

Meetings in themselves were perceived as a positive phenomenon until the seventies of the twentieth century. Since the last quarter of the last century, there has been a growing ‘epidemic of loneliness’. Today, a large part of the society, especially in wealthy Western countries, has lost the skills of meeting and has become accustomed to loneliness. This trend is reflected in modern architecture and urban planning in the form of strong trends of segregation and ghettoisation of cities, as well as in the construction of small houses for solitary living. The negative effect of the spread of loneliness and the ways to overcome this trend are shown.

Secondary Spaces of Entrance, Corridor, and Balcony in Tehran Housing - A Comparative Analysis with Nagoya Residences

Due to increasing costs and shrinkage of Tehran housing, interior layout plays a more critical role. In addition to the main spaces, such as the bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom, which are present and vital in each residential unit, we identified entrance, corridor, and balcony in our Tehran samples as secondary spaces. We aimed to investigate these spaces' role in Tehran's current housing; we analyzed their existence, size, and relationship with the unit's total area by considering the background and history of these spaces. Japan's experience in small housing convinced us to utilize under 100 m2 of Nagoya samples for comparison. Results revealed sufficient area for these three spaces in all Nagoya samples. In contrast, these spaces in a large percentage of Tehran samples did not exist or lacked efficiency contrary to related rules and regulations. There was a weak correlation between unit size and the lack of entrance and balcony, but corridor was usually removed in smaller units. We suggest separate entrance and corridor as essential spaces and not optional, regardless of unit size. Also, transparent, and visible balconies, especially in dense urban areas, are incompatible with the Iranian lifestyle and should be adjusted to cultural beliefs and norms.

An Indoor Air Quality Analysis in Newly Constructed Apartments

This study analyzes the indoor air quality inspections of newly constructed apartments by the Busan Institute of Health and Environment for the last three years (2021-2023). Of the 41 inspections, 33 exceeded the recommended standard, and the average excess rate was 80.5%. When classified by measuring households, 148 out of 332 exceeded the standards, whereas, the average excess rate by household was 44.6%. Benzene was exceeded in two out of the 332 households; therefore, the excess rate was only 0.6%. However, the relative standard deviation was the largest, showing as the highest item in the scattergram. The average concentration of toluene was 1,006.0 µg/m3, which was 100.6% of the recommended standard and was exceeded by 138 households; hence, the excess rate was 41.6%. All six items(Formaldehyde, Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylene, Styrene) reached the highest concentration in spring or summer when the indoor temperature increased. The average concentration of toluene in July was 1,922 µg/m3, close to 1.9 times the recommended standard; toluene is considered an item of particular concern in summer. In the correlation analysis with indoor temperature, the formaldehyde coefficient of determination was 0.4855, regarded as somewhat significant; it was difficult to confirm the correlation with temperature for the other five items, including benzene. In correlation with relative humidity, formaldehyde showed the same tendency as indoor temperature, with a coefficient of determination of 0.4404, which is believed to be due to its small molecular weight and high solubility. Due to the chimney effect, high concentrations of volatile organic compounds could be confirmed at low atmospheric pressure in the upper floors, and this trend was most evident for formaldehyde. For most items(Formaldehyde, Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Styrene), a negative correlation was confirmed in which the emission amount decreased as the number of households increased. For large apartment houses, it is believed that it is due to sufficient bake-out and flush-out according to the adequate construction period and the use of eco-friendly and high-end building materials. Small apartments are classified together with many small houses. The emission concentration of small houses is relatively high because the proportion of the surface area where pollutants are released is high.

Prevalence of Salmonellae infections in sheep and goats and the possibilities of lizards in infection transmission cycle in Maiduguri and environs

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Salmonellae infections in sheep, goats and in lizards in Maiduguri and environs. A total of 210 rectal swab samples representing 70 samples each from sheep, goats and lizards were examined according to standard techniques. The results revealed a prevalence of 12, 14 and 12 respectively of positive Salmonellae isolates. Four (4), six (6) and five (5) of these isolates were respectively from male sheep, bucks and male lizards while seven (7), eight (8) and seven (7) of the isolates were from female sheep, goats and female lizards respectively. These accounted for 30.83%, 41.66% and 34.10% respectively for Salmonellae infections in sheep, goats and lizards. The prevalence in males and females were 13.3% and 17.5% for sheep, 15% and 27% for goats and 16.66% and 17.50% for lizards respectively. Antibiotics susceptibility test results showed that the isolates were highly sensitive to ciprofloxacin (32,100%) and ofloxacin (31, 100%). Isolated salmonellae were resistant to Ampicillin and Amoxicillin. Since lizards were found in the vicinity of small ruminants houses, lizards were therefore considered important in the transmission circle of salmonellae to small ruminants. Farmers should be enlightened on the importance of using lizard proof materials in the construction of small ruminants sheds. Pet animals such as cats should be adapted for frequent visits to farm premises where sheep and goats are kept to scare lizards away from the area. Strict hygienic measures should be part of public enlightenment campaigns to minimize the spread of salmonellosis generally in the environment.

Developing simplified metamodels for assessing urban park cooling effect on the thermal behavior of the residential buildings: A case study in Nantes, France during a heat wave

The objective of this research is twofold. First, it aims to evaluate the impact of an urban park on the thermal behavior of residential buildings. Second, it focuses on developing and validating metamodels for predicting the cooling needs and summer thermal comfort of three types of residential buildings: single-family houses (Low-rise), small collective housing (Mid-rise), and large collective housing (High-rise). The metamodels are created through regression analysis, using a set of dynamic thermal simulations conducted with TRNSYS software. The number of dynamic simulations is efficiently reduced using the design of experiments method, and the accuracy of the metamodels is further validated through additional simulations. This study was conducted considering the climate weather conditions of the city of Nantes, France. The results demonstrate that an urban park can achieve a maximum reduction of 12.53 % in cooling needs and a 12.50 % maximum reduction in degree hours of discomfort, particularly when the building is protected from solar radiation. Furthermore, developed metamodels show high accuracy with regression coefficients over 0.96. This study aimed to create a decision support tool for local government departments to optimize urban cooling, improve thermal comfort, and reduce cooling loads in buildings by guiding the design of parks and their surrounding built environment.

Open-Source Hardware Design of Modular Solar DC Nanogrid

The technical feasibility of solar photovoltaic (PV) direct current (DC) nanogrids is well established, but the components of nanogrids are primarily commercially focused on alternating current (AC)-based systems. Thus, DC converter-based designs at the system level require personnel with high degree of technical knowledge, which results in high costs. To enable a democratization of the technology by reducing the costs, this study provides a novel modular plug-and-play open-source DC nanogrid. The system can be customized according to consumer requirements, enabling the supply of various voltage levels to accommodate different device voltage needs. The step-by-step design process of the converter, controller, data logger, and assembly of the complete system is provided. A time-domain simulation and stability analysis of the designed system were conducted in MATLAB/Simulink (version 2024b) as well as experimental validation. The results show that transforming the nanogrid from a distribution network to a device makes it suitable for various user-specific applications, such as remotely supplying power to campsites, emergency vehicles like ambulances, and small houses lacking grid electricity. The modular DC nanogrid includes all the features available in a DC distribution network, as well as data logging, which enhances the user experience and promotes the use of solar-powered DC grid systems.

Una chacra en Montevideo, dos hoteles en Carnac. Tres casos paradigmáticos de ciencia en lugares impensados a ambos lados del Atlántico

This article focuses on two places that acted as spaces of training or “scientific” sociability for archaeology and palaeontology in the nineteenth century: two hotels in Brittany and a small house in Montevideo, which were meeting points and places for the exchange of ideas among the fieldworkers of these disciplines in the making. The spaces discussed here have in com- mon their being located in regions far from the main scholarly institutions: this is a phenomenon that occurs in the private sphere, at the crossroads of a literate and commercial culture that characterizes the scientific practices of Europe and Latin America, in spaces that are not necessarily linked to state or metropolitan infrastructures. The study of places that are removed from the metropolis reveals the great similarity between European and non-European provincial localities, which explains why Montevideo and Carnac are brought together in the same article.

Enhancing Sustainability: Quantifying and Mapping Vulnerability to Extreme Heat Using Socioeconomic Factors at the National, Regional and Local Levels

Population-dense urban areas often concentrate high commercial and industrial activity and intricate transportation systems. In crowded cities, extreme events can be even more damaging due to the high population they affect and the social inequalities that are likely to emerge. Extreme heat is a climate hazard that has been linked to high morbidity and mortality, especially in cities with high population densities. The way extreme heat events are felt in the population varies depending on a variety of factors, such as age, employment status, living conditions, air-conditioning, housing conditions, habits, behaviors and other socio-demographic parameters. In this article, we quantify and locate vulnerabilities of populations to extreme heat in order to formulate policy and practice recommendations that will make communities resilient and will shape the transition to a more sustainable future. This work contributes towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 11—Sustainable Cities and Communities—by developing the tools to make cities and settlements resilient and sustainable. To this end, we analyze socioeconomic data at the NUTS3 level for the national case study of Greece and at the census tract level for the local case study of the city of Athens. The target variable for this study is defined as the average daily mortality during heatwaves per 100,000 individuals, and a methodology is developed for constructing this variable based on socioeconomic data available in public databases. The independent variables were selected based on their contribution to socioeconomic vulnerability; they include the percentage of elderly individuals, retirees, unemployed persons, renters, those living alone, those residing in smaller houses, those living in older houses and immigrants from developing countries. An ensemble gradient boosted tree model was employed for this study to obtain feature importance metrics that was used to construct a composite index of socioeconomic heat vulnerability. The socioeconomic heat vulnerability index (SHVI) was calculated for each prefecture in Greece and for each census tract in the city of Athens, Greece. The unique feature of this SHVI is that it can be applied to any geographical resolution using the same methodology and produces a result that is not only quantifiable, but also facilitates a comparison between vulnerability scores across different regions. This application aimed to map the SHVI of both prefecture and city, to examine the significance of scale, to identify vulnerability hotspots, and rank the most vulnerable areas, which are prioritized by authorities for interventions that protect public health.

Analyzing the Factors Affecting Chunsei Deposit Issues in Small House

Analyzing the Factors Affecting Chunsei Deposit Issues in Small House

Research on the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Housing Enterprises Under the Downward Trend of Real Estate Industry

Research on the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Housing Enterprises Under the Downward Trend of Real Estate Industry

Feasibility Study For Large Scale Thermal Convective Flow Measurements In Building Physics

The Department of Building Physics / Energy-efficient Buildings at the Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau is about to put a novel research-building into commission, the “Small House III”. Among other measurement equipment, a system for volumetric, large-scale, high-resolution flow velocity measurement should be utilized. In this paper, requirements for such a system are detailed, a suitable measurement system is proposed and a feasibility study for the verification of the system requirements is conducted. To this end, a tailored system for large-scale Lagrangian particle tracking (“Shake-the-Box”) is applied to thermal convective flow measurements above an electric radiator close to a wall. As a result, it is found that the designed volumetric velocity measurement system is capable of successfully operating in the design environment without minimal disturbance of the low-speed convection flow. . After a relatively short setup time (about 5 hours, including camera setup, calibration and self-calibration) up to 10000 images at 50 Hz (200 seconds) have been recorded continuously. Shake-the-Box results show a decline of the number of tracked particles from initially 48000 to about 8000 (with a half-life span of about 100 seconds for the helium filled soap bubbles used for seeding). Applying fine scale reconstruction (data assimilation), a vector spacing of 4 mm could be achieved for instantaneous volumetric velocity snapshots. Averaging resulted in a 2 mm vector spacing with an average of 3300 particles per bin and 410 particles per bin for 1 mm vector spacing (with 75% bin overlap). Weaker particles could only be detected in front of a black background. Using a white background (default background for later applications), weak particles could not be detected as well, so the number of detected particles and the measurement volume decreased slightly compared to the black background. Overall, the feasibility study successfully confirmed the readiness of the measurement system for the intended use for “Small House III” measurements.

Ripening and Rotting Heroes: Growth, Decay, and Narrative Abjection in Anthony Trollope's The Small House at Allington and The Last Chronicle of Barset

This essay argues that Anthony Trollope introduces a framework of character growth and decay, evinced through organic metaphors of ripening and rotting, to distinguish good and bad characters in The Small House at Allington and The Last Chronicle of Barset. By comparing a developing protagonist with a mature one who enters a phase of decline, we see how Trollope's commitment to nuanced characterisation is disrupted by his didactic aim of designating, and then torturing, patently bad figures. An analysis of the psychologies and aesthetics of character, framed around Julia Kristeva's theory of abjection, shows how Trollope figures two subtly paralleled protagonists as opposites, establishing one as a palatable figure and the other as a nauseating one. The isolation of a rotten character serves a dual purpose: Trollope teaches his moral lessons by subjecting the character to physical, psychological, and structural decay, while narrative progression, culminating in the imperative happy ending, is structured around the abjection of the bad object.

The Analysis of Spatial Relationship between One-person Households and Small Housing Supplies

The Analysis of Spatial Relationship between One-person Households and Small Housing Supplies

Enhancing Energy Conservation, Visual and Thermal Comfort in Small Houses of Karachi

The significance of housing in developing cities cannot be overstated, as individuals strive to acquire and own physical assets throughout their lives, even in the case of small plots as modest as 80 square yards. In urban areas such as Karachi, smaller houses ranging from 80 to 240 square yards mostly are predominantly constructed by contractors or by owners themselves. This is to avoid additional fees charged by architects who may tailor the design to suit the context and specific requirements. Consequently, these houses tend to exhibit a similar layout, maximizing the utilization of allowable space as stipulated by the bylaws. However, this approach often leads to limited natural ventilation and daylighting, resulting in increased energy consumption for thermal and visual comfort. Hence, the current research underscores the urgency of addressing the prevailing lack of natural ventilation and daylighting in these houses. To address these concerns, it presents a comprehensive framework of passive strategies aimed at enhancing the thermal and visual comfort of occupants. Firstly, an archival study was conducted, encompassing a comprehensive literature review, which served as a foundation to understand the subject matter. Secondly, a comparative study was undertaken to examine conventional small house typical plans prevalent in Karachi. This study was followed by the formulation of proposals for improved planning. Various secondary resources were utilized to support the comparative analysis of two typical house plans in Karachi, in conjunction with the proposed passive strategies. Through the application of these strategies, occupants can benefit from improved comfort, reduced energy consumption, and heightened well-being.

Socialist in content, national in form: Small-scale housing estates in Budapest between 1945 and 1960

Abstract In the second half of the 20th century, solving the housing crisis became a significant social issue and political task throughout Europe, particularly in the countries of the Eastern Bloc. Although due to its quantity, prefabricated large mass housing estates became overrepresented, dozens of smaller, experimental, and diverse mass housing forms also emerged. It is hypothesized, that these small housing estates, due to their scale and quality, are urban planning projects that were realized across political, economic, and architectural changes. To demonstrate their adaptability, this paper presents the small housing estates built in one of the capitals of the Eastern Bloc countries—Budapest—during the most turbulent one-and-a-half decades of the socialist era (1945–1960). The research consists of three main parts: (1) Hungarian politics and housing policy, (2) Budapest's urban policy, and (3) a brief presentation of the urban planning and architectural aspects of Budapest's small housing estates. The result of the research is the creation of a complete small housing estates portfolio, illustrated archive articles, archival plans, and photographs. It becomes evident that although the times from World War II to the consolidation of power saw vastly different political eras, directives, and ideals realized, along with various architectural styles and housing policies, the small housing estate as an urban planning product was able to adapt and survive. Moreover, it is a valuable architectural, housing, and urban planning imprint of the era, the only mass housing form realized in numerous examples in Budapest.

A Descriptive Study on Performance Evaluation of Sewage Treatment System

Abstract: As The rapid expansion of modern housing and industrialization around the cities has polluted environment. This trend was observed in many developed countries in the beginning of nineteenth century which resulted in the contamination of air, water, soil etc. with pollutants. If the pollutants are released in the environment and left untreated they would cause serious diseases in both humans and animals. Large scale pollution of water bodies around the globe became a major problem due to release of industrial and domestic waste directly in water streams. To prevent the leaching of pollutants in the ground water scientist developed various methods of wastewater treatment based on the hazardous chemicals and microorganisms, which were present in the untreated water. Modern sewage treatment plants were installed in big cities to treat the water released from households. Most STPs were designed based on the stringent criteria to check the pollutants levels in the treated water so that when it is released or recycled it is safe to the environment. Modern day STP plants have a high cost of operation due to huge power consumption. In order to reduce the pollutant levels in the wastewater this study was conducted using a Eco Bio Block (EBB) techniques with aeration and without aeration. A comparison of EBB was also carried out with MBBR technique. Our results show that when EBB technique was applied with aeration it is effective in reducing pollutant levels in the wastewater akin to MBBR. In addition, we tested the EBB without aeration and found that the treated waste water has relatively low levels of BOD, COD and turbidity, suggesting that the treated water can be utilized for landscaping and horticulture activities. Overall, the outcomes from this study are encouraging to adopt EBB in smaller towns and in small housing societies to treat the wastewater prior to release. The paper focuses on reviewing the various sewage treatment methods and their results.

Features of nursing practice organization in the geriatric center (boarding house)

In recent decades, interest in gerontology has increased significantly. This is explained by the fact that among the most pressing problems facing the world community is the problem of population aging. As in many developed countries of the world, in Russia the number of people aged 80 years and older is increasing. The sharp aging of the population is the most important problem in the life of any state — that is why there is an urgent need to expand gerontological research. Target. Assessment of the existing system for placing elderly and senile people in a geriatric center (boarding house).Results. The working time costs of nursing staff were studied by conducting photo-timing and interviewing; an analysis of existing problems in the organization of nursing practice was carried out; real ways to improve the quality of life of an elderly person living in a boarding house are outlined. Conclusion. As sociological studies show, small boarding houses are indispensable in rural areas, where they take on the character of temporary institutions (for the autumn-winter period), largely solving the problems of many villagers who do not want to permanently move to boarding houses.

Enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption in ultrathin cement-based composites with integrated multi-dimensional carbon materials

The challenges posed by electromagnetic waves (EMW) cause significant interference in electronic device operation, jeopardizing information security and disturbing normal biological functions, which necessitate attention. Multi-scale carbon/cement-based composites were developed for EMW absorption by integrating multi-dimensional carbon materials, including carbon nanotubes (1D), graphene (2D), and modified carbon microspheres (3D). These composites demonstrate exceptional EMW absorption capabilities, with a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of −44.32 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 3.644 GHz at X band, merely having a thickness of 1.90 mm. Furthermore, the superior EMW absorption properties of these composites are confirmed through radar cross-section (RCS) simulation and electric field distribution analysis. A small house is constructed of designed three-layer multi-scale carbon/cement-based composites in which the actual EMW reflection losses are less than –10 dB within the whole test frequency range, and these composites can effectively obstruct 5 G mobile phone signals. Therefore, multi-scale carbon/cement-based composites could be promising candidates for effectively solving the increasingly serious problem of electromagnetic radiation pollution.

Women's rights under the Small House Policy in Hong Kong

AbstractThis article investigates how the legislature and courts in Hong Kong have been struggling to tackle the sex discrimination created by the Small House Policy (SHP). Initially introduced in 1972, the SHP provides every male indigenous villager in the New Territories with a once‐in‐a‐lifetime housing grant, thereby excluding women from this benefit. Despite its discrimination against women, the SHP was still exempted from the New Territories Land (Exemption) Ordinance in 1994 and the Sex Discrimination Ordinance in 1995. In 2019, the judicial review of Kwok Cheuk Kin and Lui Chi Hang v The Director of Land declared that part of the SHP was unconstitutional. Still, this decision was overturned in the Court of Appeal and the Court of Final Appeal, which ruled that the SHP was constitutional in its entirety. This article examines the historical context of the SHP, discusses how the court has been interpreting and defining the SHP and, more importantly, investigates how British's indirect rule created a hostile legal environment for women and further relegated them to the groups of ‘double‐ colonised’ and ‘triple‐colonised’.