Sustainable Housing Research Articles

Current discourse on the housing issues in the world

In this paper, the current global housing discourse is studied, focusing on the theoretical analysis of approaches and strategies for the formation and implementation of housing policies in different countries. The main purpose of the article was to identify the key areas of the housing discourse, which cover environmental, social, economic aspects, including an integrated urban development approach. Based on the analysis, the main challenges and problems affecting housing and urbanization were identified. In particular, it has been determined that climate change, social inequality, mass migration and global pandemics are serious factors that require comprehensive solutions and innovative approaches. In order to overcome these challenges and improve the housing situation, a number of measures and strategies have been proposed. The environmental aspect highlighted the importance of developing energy-efficient housing construction, which reduces the negative impact of construction on the environment. The social aspect highlighted the need to involve communities in the urban planning process and create social housing initiatives for low-income populations. The integrated approach to planning highlighted the importance of cooperation between different sectors and governments to develop and implement comprehensive strategies for sustainable urban development. In addition, the article noted that solving housing problems requires a profound change in the mindset of governing bodies and cooperation with non-governmental organizations to develop a modern scientific approach to sustainable housing development. To summarize, the article attempts to contribute to the discussion of the problems and prospects of housing issues in the world. The conclusions and recommendations formulated on the basis of the study can serve as a basis for further research and development of effective strategies to ensure sustainable urban development and improve the quality of life of the population.

Defining methods for architectural and planning organization of temporary settlements for internally displaced persons in Ukraine

This article analyzes the main issues of architectural and planning organization of temporary settlements for internally displaced persons. It identifies the current demands for increased flexibility and resilience in planning and explores a new type of temporary housing with a progressive (permanent) core. Special attention is given to incremental design and participation as methods of uniting the efforts of designers, communities, and governments into a single strategy for providing sustainable housing for affected populations. A review of the research revealed two main problems in the strategic planning of housing assistance: the issue of stability in the concept of "temporary housing" and the challenge of flexible planning solutions. In response to this, the introduction of new transitional types - "transitional shelters" designed using materials and structures that can be upgraded or reused in more permanent housing units, and "progressive shelters" - stationary, rapidly deployable shelters on designated land (with appropriate zoning) intended for future conversion into permanent housing units. In a methodological sense, both types feature a permanent, stable core and temporary residential volumes or structures that gradually evolve into a permanent living environment—a concept known as incremental architecture. It changes the morphological understanding of temporary housing, allowing it to be engaged at all stages of housing assistance alongside participatory methods and "advocacy planning" that regulate the involvement of communities and affected populations in planning activities together with specialists and local authorities. The experience of rebuilding the affected city of Constitution in Chile has shown that these methods can enhance the flexible nature of architecture (its planning possibilities and solutions for reuse and reconfiguration) and potentially create new values of permanence. Additionally, a review of the existing Ukrainian experience has revealed a lack of tools for uniting the efforts of designers, communities, and the government into a single strategy for temporary housing policy, thus preventing temporary shelter and housing facilities from meeting all the necessary (social, cultural, and infrastructural) needs of residents. This implies that a polyvalent strategy may be recommended for affected rural communities, simultaneously satisfying the needs of permanent residents and providing affected communities with temporary homes with the potential for permanent residency, as it is impossible to accurately assess the terms of temporary housing use and population repatriation until the end of hostilities.

Effective affordable housing strategies for the urban poor in Nigeria

Providing affordable housing (AH) in a suitable manner has continued to be a global challenge despite various research attempts and policy interventions, suggesting a need for innovativeness in affordable housing provision. Review of literature exposes a mismatch between AH demand and what is supplied. A pragmatic approach to AH provision warrants an investigation of the urban poor, being targets of AH interventions. To achieve this, this study examined the urban poor to diligently explore their informal housing strategies. 40 randomly selected respondents were interviewed from the 5 strata of largest slums in Lagos, Nigeria. Following a descriptive, content and thematic analyses of data, findings are that there are concealed and untapped resources within the housing strategies of the urban poor that may inform suitable affordable housing provision approaches. Findings are that suitable rent for housing the urban poor should not exceed $9 per month, rental housing is more suitable for the urban poor than homeownership, incremental housing, use of cheaper construction materials, adopting alternative housing approaches such as shared housing, convertible homes and hostels are suitable housing construction strategies. Suitable housing financing strategies will be modifying their existent housing finance means among other essential findings. This study provides insights into informally devised housing strategies of settlers in the slums of Lagos. Data from this study may benefit policymakers and are useful for future studies on pro-poor housing provision. Study recommended that the informal strategies of the urban poor can be improved, institutionalized and incorporated into housing policies to achieve effective and sustainable affordable housing provision for the urban poor in developing economies.

Synthesizing implications of a collaborative project on socially sustainable housing policies for the aging population

ObjectiveBased on findings from four transdisciplinary original research studies on housing issues for the aging population, whereof three had a particular focus on marginalized groups, we report a co-produced synthesis of implications from a collaborative research project on socially sustainable housing policies. Researchers and non-academic partners in the ongoing Thematic Collaboration Initiative Social Rights and Housing for the Aging Population at Lund University collaborated in co-creative activities aiming at policy recommendations.ResultsSeven types of implications (i.e., themes) that represent macro and meso level approaches with potential to generate impact on social rights and housing for the aging population were identified. The content of legislation and regulations, financial institution strategies, and housing and neighbourhood development exemplify macro level implications. The three themes education and training, communicating with a diversity of stakeholders, and communicating with the public all relate to an overall need for integrated knowledge translation. The theme involving older adults as a resource delivered insight into underutilized capacities of the diverse target group. As the quest for integrated knowledge translation is growing stronger, this research note contributes to development of co-production approaches to synthesize implications of transdisciplinary collaboration, connecting research, practice and policy on societal challenges that ay population aging.

Sustainable and accessible container house: developing soft skills in an interdisciplinary way

Currently, sustainability is being widely evaluated as a way to ensure the development of society, meeting the needs of the current generation, without compromising the ability to meet the needs of future generations. Another very evident aspect is accessibility, which aims to implement measures to remove barriers, to promote broad and unrestricted access, with safety and autonomy, for people with disabilities or reduced mobility. Therefore, educational actions related to these aspects are valid, in the sense of making society aware of the importance of taking care of oneself, others and the environment that surrounds them. With the objective of contributing to the professional training of the Production Engineer, as well as to the construction of a more correct and fair society, in the themes of sustainability and accessibility, this paper aims to describe and discuss the results of the application of the Project Based Learning (PBL) approach in a Production Engineering course. For this, it was necessary to: carry out a bibliographic review of the content; collect data from projects developed by students; analyze the collected data; and present the results. The theme was the development of sustainable and affordable container house projects. In this sense, the teams worked to highlight the potential of this form of construction as a viable alternative to the conventional method, according to the specificity of each client, indicating its potential and limitations in the face of obtaining sustainable and accessible spaces. As a result, it was possible to verify the students' knowledge about the themes; the development of technical and transversal skills; in addition to consolidating PBL as the methodology adopted in the discipline. Finally, the project reached the proposed aim, thus contributing to the construction of an environmentally correct, economically viable and socially just society.

Home swapping as instrument for more housing sufficiency!

The current ecological challenges with an urgent necessity to reduce consumption of energy and resources call for a reconsideration of many aspects of current (western) lifestyles. Since housing is one major source of energy and resource consumption, the development of a sustainable housing provision is of upmost importance. Unfortunately, the public debate is constricted to efficiency and consistency measures, based on technical improvements, which do not question norms and values leading to necessary lifestyle changes. Such a one-sided approach will fall short for various reasons – the most important being the ever-increasing per capita housing space that cancels out efficiency gains. Instead, discussions on an environmentally sound housing provision should consider the concept of sufficiency, leading to a reduction of the physical building stock due to a decrease in per capita consumption. Despite acknowledging the necessity of a reduced per capita living space, the academic debate remains quite limited without offering appropriate systematic strategies. Thus, this paper takes up the instrument of home swapping to discuss its holistic value, adding to the debate on sufficiency strategies in the field of housing. It is shown that home swapping has enormous potential to reduce per capita housing space by better allocating living space.

Exploring the Affordable Housing Solutions for the Resettlement Projects of Padma Bridge

The construction of Padma Bridge in Bangladesh has necessitated the resettlement of displaced residents, highlighting the need for affordable and sustainable housing solutions aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), 10 (Reduce inequality), and 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). This study aims to engage undergraduate architecture students in a design studio exercise to develop innovative housing models for resettlement projects, addressing displaced communities' social, economic, and environmental challenges. A multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework is introduced, integrating stakeholder data. In the design studio, students explore housing alternatives and concentrate on community-driven cooperative housing, assessing their effectiveness, feasibility, and sustainability using the MCDA framework. The exercise produces a range of housing solutions that balance affordability, sustainability, and community-centric design. Students demonstrate the potential of novel approaches to address the complex challenges displaced communities face and contribute to equitable development in Bangladesh. Engaging architecture students in developing affordable housing solutions provides valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in resettlement. The study emphasizes the need for holistic, participatory approaches and highlights the role of innovative, sustainable housing models in enhancing the quality of life for those affected by the Padma Bridge project, aligning with the SDGs.

Community Wellbeing in Cities through the Sustainable Affordable Housing

Community Wellbeing in Cities through the Sustainable Affordable Housing

Technology, Users, and Sustainable Social Housing

Abstract This paper aims to contribute with results in relation to the challenges that users encounter with regard to technologies in sustainable social housing. The results are significant and show that in modern Danish sustainable social housing consideration is not taken for the users in relation to the technologies implemented in the buildings. The consequences are that the intentions of the technologies supporting economic, environmental, and social sustainability do not work for the users when the buildings are taken into use. The paper argues that developers and architectural practice should in future use simpler technologies that give residents the opportunity to individually regulate their homes’ indoor climate. At the same time, architecture and technology should reflect the consideration towards the climate in the local context and the users’ funda-mental living conditions. The paper argues for the development of a more user-oriented architecture, where the interaction between architecture and technology can work for the users and to a greater extent support the intentions with regard to sustainability.

Designing Sustainable Housing Using a User-Centred Approach: Paipe Case Study

This paper presents a user-centred design method for developing prototype housing designs in the Paipe community of Abuja, Nigeria, addressing the challenges posed by rapid urbanisation in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). UCD is a qualitative methodology that prioritises end users in the design process. This study employs qualitative methods to collect data through interviews, field surveys, and site analysis using a single case study. The UCD approach was used to develop a profile of residents and identify their needs and preferences. Thematic analysis of the data led to the creation of design specifications and prototype designs. Two design options were developed: a cluster design based on field survey observations and an enclosed modern design based on residents’ preferences. This study contends that user-centred design (UCD) is essential for sustainable housing provision in LMICs, aligning with the United Nations’ adequate-housing programme.

Assessment of the influence of managerial service quality on occupants’ satisfaction in Housing Estates in Abuja, Nigeria.

In the rapidly developing Federal Capital of Nigeria, Abuja, understanding the relationship between managerial service quality and occupants' satisfaction is crucial for sustainable housing development. This study addresses this by assessing the influence of managerial service quality on occupants' satisfaction in housing estates in Abuja, Nigeria. Notably, there is a dearth of information on occupants’ satisfaction of housing estates within the Nigerian context, existing studies mainly focus on the physical environment. Using a survey-based cross-sectional design, data was collected through structured questionnaires from two housing estates in Abuja, focusing on occupants' perceptions of managerial service quality components. The study evaluated four key aspects of managerial service quality as independent variables: Facility Management, Management's Responsiveness to Complaints, Waste Management, and Environmental Hygiene. The data underwent inferential analysis, with correlation analysis gauging the strength and direction of the relationship between the dependent and independent variables, and multiple regression analysis used for hypothesis testing. Preliminary findings revealed a positive correlation between managerial service quality and occupants' satisfaction. From the results of multiple regression analysis, three hypotheses revealed a significant positive relationship with occupants’ satisfaction, while one hypothesis showed an insignificant but positive relationship with occupants’ satisfaction. This study underscores the critical role of effective estate management in improving occupants' quality of life and fostering sustainable urban development. Findings from the study can inform policymaking, shape property management practices, and empower housing estate administrators to meet the evolving needs and expectations of housing estate occupants.

Exploring the sustainability of public housing: the case of customized public housing for artists in Seoul

Since 2014, Seoul has proposed customized public housing as a means to address the reduced effectiveness of the urban housing supply. The focus of policy has gradually shifted from total housing security to welfare support, and the South Korean government has announced that the model will be replicated nationwide by 2023. The paper aims to summarize the development and characteristics of the artist-tailored public housing through a review of policy developments and cases from 2013 to 2023. The analysis reveals that the model is characterized by a uniform supply by the public sector, starting with the rights of minority groups rather than the needs of society as a whole. It helps improve the housing supply's effectiveness and moderate the vacancy rate in the city and regional economic stagnation. Finally, this paper summarizes the staged development experience of the artist's customized public rental housing system from four aspects: housing market, supply system, regional economy, and residents' spontaneous participation, and discusses the system's role in promoting the sustainable development of the public housing system. It provides suggestions for the current model's promotion and also provides references for the binary opposition relationship between the economic value of art and urban gentrification in other countries.

Educational Leadership, Sustainable Housing Education and Construction Education: the Role of Traditional Dwellings and Construction Innovation

Education enables one to distinguish between positive and bad experiences and identify what is proper and wrong behavior. Education is a process of simplifying the individual learning process and helping individuals maintain and improve our level of intelligence and understanding. As a result, it is essential to determine the factors that have an impact on the construction education that students receive. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between sustainable housing education, educational leadership, and construction education with the moderating role of educational construction innovation and traditional dwellings. To achieve the objective of the study data were collected from 370 students in China with the help of a questionnaire. Data were analyzed by using Smart-PLS and SPSS. The findings of the study showed that a significant relationship exists between all the above variables. The current study used only sustainable housing education and educational leadership as a cause of construction education among students. Future studies can also use other variables which has a significant effect on education. This study also has several practical and theoretical implications.

Use Of Mining Tailings in The Manufacture of Ecological Bricks to Encourage the Construction of Sustainable Housing

This work aimed to manufacture ecological bricks using mining tailings, by-products of mining activity, to contribute to sustainable housing development. The Peruvian technical standards E.060 and E.070 are used as a reference framework to achieve this. The study focuses on various aspects, such as mineralogical analysis, particle size distribution, plasticization, workability, and rheology. The research methodology adopted is deductive, with an applied and quantitative approach. A retrolective data collection instrument and descriptive, explanatory, correlational, and descriptive level approaches are used. The results obtained from this research reveal significant findings. It was observed that including 20% of an alkaline binder based on calcined clay improves the development of bricks in areas with severe climatic conditions. In addition, incorporating lime fibers reduces thermal conductivity and increases bricks' compressive and bending strength. Blocks containing 30% clay cork reinforce the bricks' bulk density, thermal conductivity, and strength. On the other hand, it was verified that tailings with lead-zinc sulfide, reduced by 47%, comply with the carbonization and contraction coefficient. Shale, fly ash, and cement tailings achieved a compressive strength of 26 MPa and a water absorption rate of 14.32%. The addition of steel filings by 3% improves compressive strength. Likewise, incorporating plastic waste increases the compressive strength to reach 37.5 MPa. As for geopolymers, it was observed that viscosity recovery is in a range between 65% and 82%. Finally, recycled aggregates, with a maximum nominal size of 3/8" and 1/4", meet the standard requirements, providing a compressive strength of up to 8 MPa. Finally, this study demonstrates the potential of using mining tailings and other recycled materials to manufacture ecological bricks for sustainable housing development in mining communities, offering viable solutions from an environmental and construction point of view.

The ‘Z-Free’ Home: A Circular Thinking and Eco-Cycle Design Practice

In recent years, the need for affordable sustainable housing has increased. At the same time, there has been a gradual rising interest in compact living. With the mounting impacts of climate change, a new way of thinking is needed to develop more resilient and climate responsive ways of living that are compact, affordable, and climate-conscious. In response to this need, the idea of a ‘Z-Free Home’ was born. The ‘Z-Free Home’ is a tiny mobile house equipped with essential passive and eco-cycle systems that achieves nine zero targets. The main design and construction concept is based on circular design and a return to nature life cycle principles. In this paper, the architectural design concept, building energy modelling, and simulation for the Z-Free Home design proposal is discussed. This paper describes the concept design and design development phases together with building modelling and simulation. A focus was made on the use of virtual reality in design development assessment as a new method for evaluating passive and eco-cycle systems. The results show that it’s possible to achieve nine different zero goals while the analysis illustrates the challenges in achieving them. The paper also described the next steps planned for the proof of concept, i.e., the 1:1 house model. The project is ongoing, and it aims at a full-scale physical prototype as a proof of concept for the zero targets. The ‘Z-Free Home’ is designed for the cold Swedish climate but could be more widely applicable in other mild climates as well as hot climates.

Resilient and Sustainable Housing Models against Climate Change: A Review

Most of the world’s population resides in urban areas, and it is expected that this will continue to be the case in the future. These urban areas face enormous challenges such as climate change, economic instability and inequality. Housing is considered a basic unit comprising cities, and, as such, this study contextualized the concepts of urban resilience and sustainability against climate change such that housing models that respond to these concepts could be identified. As a result of an extensive literature review, three resilient housing models and four sustainable housing models are presented and discussed with a focus on the main characteristics necessary for meeting urban resilience and sustainability against climate change. When analyzing the housing models considered resilient, the need to establish housing on safe land stood out and concrete was a common building material among these housing models. In addition, the use of alternative sources of water and energy supply was prioritized. On the other hand, sustainable housing models were developed by local entities and certified by various initiatives. In addition, these models account for the climatic specifications of their location, energy and water efficiency, and quality of the indoor environment, and promote the use of local materials and resources. The use of durable materials was considered a requirement for both resilience and sustainability. The results of this study are a contribution to the process of strengthening housing against the challenge posed by climate change in a timely and adequate manner considering both urban resilience and sustainability aspects.

Towards a net-zero carbon economy: A sustainability performance assessment of innovative prefabricated construction methods for affordable housing in Southern Africa

Recently, efforts to mainstream sustainability principles into affordable housing projects through the adoption of modern methods of construction, like innovative prefabricated construction methods (IPCMs), have been observed. However, limited studies have evaluated the sustainability performance of IPCMs deployed to affordable housing projects in Southern Africa, where the delivery of sustainable affordable housing remains a regional imperative. This study bridges this gap by assessing the sustainability performance and index scores of six IPCM variants implemented on affordable housing projects. The study adopted a two-phased quasi-experimental research design. In the first phase, the technical specification, lifecycle energy and cost and actual performance of these variants under varying conditions pertaining to sustainability were assessed and compared. The Sustainable, Innovative, Affordable Housing (SIAH) framework was adjusted to enhance its utility for computing sustainability index scores using expert opinions. Afterwards, the experts computed the sustainability index score for each case using the adjusted SIAH framework. Subsequently, the Edge App and SimaPro were used to simulate the sustainability performance of these variants under varying conditions. The study's results indicate higher overall sustainability performance of IPCMs compared to conventional methods. Moreover, the research results proved that the monolithic IPCMs were more suitable for net-zero carbon buildings. The study highlights the SIAH framework's usefulness as an assessment tool for determining the sustainability performance of affordable housing projects and for successfully selecting optimum IPCMs to implement towards eliciting such performance. It is expected that this study's results will contribute towards advancing the SIAH agenda in Southern Africa.

The Barriers in Adopting Sustainable Affordable Housing (SAH) Development: An Article Review

The insistence to have guidelines on Sustainable Affordable Housing (SAH) development has gained substantial courtesy in recent years due to the vast needs for affordable houses and increasing awareness of environmental concerns especially in most developing countries. The affordable housing development in Malaysia has been progressively improving since the Eleventh Malaysia Plan (11th Malaysia Plan) commencement, which focuses on increasing the affordability and accessibility of housing within low and middle-income groups, especially in urban areas. However, in order to achieve proper urban development, affordable housing must also be sustainable. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to analyse the barriers in adopting SAH from the perspectives of developers, householders, and Governments. The objective of this study also is to draft out the barrier indicators pertaining to SAH development. This extended literature review research applied the Content Analysis Method which analysed 12 articles on the challenges of integrating affordable houses into sustainable houses by various authors in different countries and with diverse legislative practices. The findings consist of six (6) main barriers and thirty-seven (37) challenges from the perspectives of the main participants (developers, householders, and the Governments) of SAH development. The result revealed that the financial, expertise and technology, education, knowledge and awareness, accessibility and land use planning, enforcement and initiatives, land assessment, and land cost are the main barriers in implementing SAH development. The findings of this research will provide a comprehensive understanding of the limitations that hinder the widespread adaptation of SAH development initiatives. The future research will underscore the verification and validation of SAH development indicators from the main participants to initiate strategic planning on SAH developments. Ultimately, addressing the barriers will contribute to the realisation and potential of sustainable affordable housing options for all.

The Ger Plug-In: demonstrating a model for sustainable and affordable housing in Ulaanbaatar’s fringe districts

The article demonstrates that the Ger Plug-In, a housing prototype that combines the traditional Mongolian nomadic dwelling, or ger, with new construction, is a viable sustainable and affordable housing product that addresses urgent issues that have arisen from the growth of Ulaanbaatar’s ger districts. These settlements have no water supply, sewers or centralised heating, and households use coal and coke briquettes to heat their homes. The prototype provides the ger with electrical heating,, sanitation systems and improved thermal insulation. The pilot project was constructed in 2017 and on-site field measurements together with numerical simulation have been used to calculate its Energy Use Intensity (EUI). By using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the results show that the Ger Plug-In meets the EUI criteria to be eligible for green mortgages provided by the Green Climate Fund. Household surveys were conducted to ascertain the financial capacity of residents. By proving its qualification for low interest rate mortgages and by evidencing its market demand, the objective is to demonstrate that the product can have scalable impact for the 840,000 residents living in the ger districts.

Social sustainability in brick decoration and architectural space of Qajar houses in Dezful by Delphi method

PurposeSocial sustainability is one of the influential concepts in architecture and urban planning that is formed under the influence of individual and physical factors. In such a way that its effects on the spatial architecture and decorations can be studied. The issue of social sustainability also plays an important role in the quality of life and examines the place of thinking of a society. On the other hand, the study of this issue in the historical cities is a subject that provides the basis for studying the city of Dezful as a bed with a valuable historical background. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explain and evaluate the components of social sustainability in the historical architecture.MethodologyThis research is a combination of Delphi and descriptive-analytical methods that have been identified using field studies, libraries and interviews. Also, the effective components in social sustainability are evaluated by Delphi and then the subject is explained by describing each component.ResultFindings based on the research framework show that there is a different level of social sustainability. This issue is based on the macro criteria of social participation, security and quality of life and has different components.ConclusionThe conclusion of the research shows that the effective components in the sustainability of historical houses in Dezful, plays a significant role in personal and physical relationships and create satisfaction and attachment to the architectural structure. This issue is created by strategies based on sustainability of components and preserves the identity of architecture.