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Affordable Housing Planning for Sustainability
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Affordable Housing Planning for Sustainability

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 24751

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Manuela Almeida

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Engineering, Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE), University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal
Interests: sustainable construction; building physics; environmental quality of buildings; low-carbon and energy-efficient buildings and neighbourhoods; buildings renovation; zero energy buildings; zero carbon buildings; zero emissions neighborhoods; building simulation; cost optimization; life cycle analysis; circular economy in the construction sector
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Antonín Lupíšek

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
University Centre for Energy Efficient Buildings, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
Interests: sustainability assessment systems; carbon footprint of buildings; interdisciplinary development of building products and tools; sustainable development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will be composed of a selection of papers addressing a wide range of approaches and tools with the objective of facilitating and improving sustainability in affordable housing.

Connecting sustainability and affordability in housing is challenging. Affordable housing is traditionally assessed by economic values, namely linking housing costs to income. However, the importance of affordability in housing exceeds individual households and it has considerable impacts on wider scales such as in the economy, health and sustainability, as well as in specifically addressing the energy poverty problem. The topics covered in this Special Issue include:

  • innovative construction and building renovation solutions for affordable housing;
  • identification of criteria for assessing sustainable affordable housing;
  • assessment of indoor thermal comfort and energy use in affordable housing;
  • sustainability in construction materials in affordable housing;
  • low-carbon structure buildings for social housing;
  • use of natural materials for improving the energy efficiency of buildings;
  • low-tech and do-it-yourself solutions for the sustainable low-cost energy retrofitting of residential buildings;
  • efficient building solutions for temporary housing for refugees;
  • construction management for affordable housing;
  • health and the affordable built environment;
  • assessment frameworks for climate-friendly affordable housing;
  • policy tools and guidelines in order to support decision-making.

Dr. Manuela Almeida
Dr. Antonín Lupíšek
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable construction
  • construction management
  • life cycle analysis
  • building renovation
  • energy poverty
  • energy conservation
  • health and safety
  • sustainable policies and tools
  • low-tech solutions
  • natural materials
  • efficient temporary housing solutions

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 40940 KiB  
Article
Low Energy Renovation of Social Housing: Recommendations on Monitoring and Renewable Energies Use
by Bianca Seabra, Pedro F. Pereira, Helena Corvacho, Carla Pires and Nuno M. M. Ramos
Sustainability 2021, 13(5), 2718; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052718 - 3 Mar 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3398
Abstract
Social housing represents a part of the whole building stock with a high risk of energy poverty, and it should be treated as a priority in renovation strategies, due to its potential for improvement and the need to fight that risk. Renovation actions [...] Read more.
Social housing represents a part of the whole building stock with a high risk of energy poverty, and it should be treated as a priority in renovation strategies, due to its potential for improvement and the need to fight that risk. Renovation actions are currently designed based on patterns that have been shown to be disparate from the reality of social housing. Thereby, a monitoring study is essential for the evaluation of the actual conditions. An in-depth characterization of a social housing neighborhood, located in the North of Portugal, was carried out. Indoor hygrothermal conditions were analyzed through a monitoring campaign. It was possible to identify the differences in indoor conditions of the dwellings and understand the influence of occupancy density and occupants’ behavior. In order to identify the actual occupancy and the type of use, a social survey was performed. A renovation action will soon take place, and a monitoring and survey plan is proposed for the post-renovation period, based on a previous evaluation of the renovation impact, using DesignBuilder software and the real occupancy profiles. In social housing context, since energy consumption for heating and cooling is punctual or non-existent, the focus of low energy renovation should be based on passive strategies that reduce the energy demand. The remaining energy needs should be supplied by renewable energy sources, reducing energy poverty, and enhancing quality of life. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Affordable Housing Planning for Sustainability)
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18 pages, 1719 KiB  
Article
Refocusing on Sustainability: Promoting Straw Bale Building for Government-Assisted, Self-Help Housing Programs in Utah and Abroad
by Bryan Dorsey
Sustainability 2021, 13(5), 2545; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052545 - 26 Feb 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2962
Abstract
Central to this housing program evaluation and policy analysis is the need to clarify competing definitions of self-help housing and to delineate the role of straw bale building in creating more sustainable, subsidized housing programs. Straw bale home construction is shown to be [...] Read more.
Central to this housing program evaluation and policy analysis is the need to clarify competing definitions of self-help housing and to delineate the role of straw bale building in creating more sustainable, subsidized housing programs. Straw bale home construction is shown to be achieved at a lower cost, with lower embodied carbon than conventional housing, yet the building technique is not widely practiced as part of government-assisted housing, internationally, nor among mutual self-help housing (MSHH) programs in the United States, due in part to limitations of code adoption. Community Rebuilds, a federally subsidized MSHH program in Moab, Utah, is compared to other self-help housing programs in the state and stands apart with current “living building” development. Interviews and survey results from Community Rebuilds staff, contractors, and homeowners provide qualitative insights regarding the value of social capital, and embodied carbon calculations were used to assess the sustainability of conventional versus natural building methods and materials. Results confirm the need for increasing straw bale building code adoption and the creation of more sustainable self-help housing options in the U.S. and abroad. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Affordable Housing Planning for Sustainability)
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33 pages, 9205 KiB  
Article
Thermal Performance and Comfort Conditions Analysis of a Vernacular Palafitic Timber Building in Portuguese Coastline Context
by Jorge Fernandes, Ricardo Mateus, Helena Gervásio, Sandra Monteiro Silva, Jorge Branco and Manuela Almeida
Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10484; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410484 - 15 Dec 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3073
Abstract
The palafitic timber constructions of the central Portuguese coastline are an example of the adaptation to site-specific conditions (climate and sand landscape morphodynamics) using the available endogenous resources. Thus, in a context of environmental awareness and climate change, it is relevant to understand [...] Read more.
The palafitic timber constructions of the central Portuguese coastline are an example of the adaptation to site-specific conditions (climate and sand landscape morphodynamics) using the available endogenous resources. Thus, in a context of environmental awareness and climate change, it is relevant to understand their features/strategies and how they perform. This work analyses the energy performance and thermal condition evaluation of a vernacular timber building–palheiro–from Praia de Mira, through in situ measurements, subjective analysis and energy simulation provided by DesignBuilder/EnergyPlus. The results show a good or satisfactory thermal performance during most of the seasons by passive means only. Despite, it was not possible to guarantee thermal comfort conditions for the occupants during winter. In the energy performance analysis, five scenarios, with different external walls, were compared. In the two scenarios that satisfy the maximum U-value for the climate zone, the current conventional building had a slightly better performance on heating and cooling (less 1.1 and 1.4 kWh/m2, respectively) than the timber building. However, the difference between the two construction solutions is not substantial in the annual energy demand (2.5 kWh/m2, 7.3%), indicating that timber structures are suitable in this mild climate area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Affordable Housing Planning for Sustainability)
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22 pages, 1475 KiB  
Article
Assessing Resilience to Energy Poverty in Europe through a Multi-Criteria Analysis Framework
by Apostolos Arsenopoulos, Vangelis Marinakis, Konstantinos Koasidis, Andriana Stavrakaki and John Psarras
Sustainability 2020, 12(12), 4899; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12124899 - 16 Jun 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3200
Abstract
This study introduces a framework for assessing the resilience of different European countries against the problem of energy poverty. The proposed framework is established upon two major implementation pillars: capturing stakeholder knowledge and employing a multi-criteria analysis framework in order to provide valuable [...] Read more.
This study introduces a framework for assessing the resilience of different European countries against the problem of energy poverty. The proposed framework is established upon two major implementation pillars: capturing stakeholder knowledge and employing a multi-criteria analysis framework in order to provide valuable insights and objective results. The implicated evaluation criteria have been identified by the group of stakeholders and incorporate several socio-economic aspects of the problem beyond the energy dimension. The proposed methodology is largely dependent on the engaged stakeholders’ assessments, thus introducing nuggets of subjectivity into the whole analysis. However, it significantly differs from other energy poverty-based approaches, its novelty lying in that it directly attempts to evaluate a country according to its potential to deal with the problem as a whole, rather than deconstructing it in components and partial indicators. The proposed framework is demonstrated in countries in both Southern/Eastern and Northern/Western Europe (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain), exploiting diversities and particularities associated with their context. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Affordable Housing Planning for Sustainability)
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17 pages, 5611 KiB  
Article
Effect of Embodied Energy on Cost-Effectiveness of a Prefabricated Modular Solution on Renovation Scenarios in Social Housing in Porto, Portugal
by Manuela Almeida, Ricardo Barbosa and Raphaele Malheiro
Sustainability 2020, 12(4), 1631; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12041631 - 21 Feb 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4661
Abstract
A large-scale energy renovation intervention in existing buildings has been consistently presented as the most significant opportunity to contribute to achieving the European targets for 2030 and 2050. One of the key points for such achievement is the cost-effectiveness of the interventions proposed, [...] Read more.
A large-scale energy renovation intervention in existing buildings has been consistently presented as the most significant opportunity to contribute to achieving the European targets for 2030 and 2050. One of the key points for such achievement is the cost-effectiveness of the interventions proposed, which is also closely related to decent housing affordability. Prefabricated modular solutions have been pointed out as a pathway, but there are knowledge gaps regarding both its cost-effectiveness and its environmental performance. Considering a social housing multi-family building in Porto, Portugal, as a case study, this research employs energy simulations, a cost-optimal methodology and a life cycle analysis approach to assess the influence of considering embodied energy and emissions in cost-effectiveness calculations. In general terms, the hierarchical relation between calculated renovation scenarios remain identical, as well as the choice of the cost-optimal combination, which can reduce primary energy needs by 226 kWh/(y.m2). However, embodied carbon emissions and embodied energy of the materials used in the calculations, which are indicative of the sustainability of such interventions, increase the energy and carbon emissions associated to each renovation package by an average of 43 kWh/(y.m2) and 9.3 kgCO2eq/(y.m2), respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Affordable Housing Planning for Sustainability)
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26 pages, 6073 KiB  
Article
Selection of Favourable Concept of Energy Retrofitting Solution for Social Housing in the Czech Republic Based on Economic Parameters, Greenhouse Gases, and Primary Energy Consumption
by Katerina Sojkova, Martin Volf, Antonin Lupisek, Roman Bolliger and Tomas Vachal
Sustainability 2019, 11(22), 6482; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11226482 - 18 Nov 2019
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3122
Abstract
Energy retrofitting of existing building stock has significant potential for the reduction of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Roughly half of the CO2 emissions from Czech building stock are estimated to be allocated to residential buildings. Approximately one-third of the Czech [...] Read more.
Energy retrofitting of existing building stock has significant potential for the reduction of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Roughly half of the CO2 emissions from Czech building stock are estimated to be allocated to residential buildings. Approximately one-third of the Czech residential building stock have already been retrofitted, but retrofitting mostly takes place in large cities due to greater income. A favourable concept for the mass retrofitting of residential building stock, affordable even in low-income regions, was of interest. For a reference building, multi-criteria assessment of numerous retrofitting measures was performed. The calculation involved different building elements, materials, solutions, and energy-efficiency levels in combination with various heating systems. The assessment comprised environmental impact, represented by operational and embodied primary energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and investment and operational costs using the annuity method. Analysis resulted in the identification of favourable retrofitting measures and showed that complex building retrofitting is advantageous from both a cost and an environmental point of view. The environmental burden could be decreased by approximately 10–30% even without photovoltaic installation, and costs per year could be decreased by around 40%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Affordable Housing Planning for Sustainability)
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13 pages, 1616 KiB  
Article
Carbon Benchmark for Czech Residential Buildings Based on Climate Goals Set by the Paris Agreement for 2030
by David Pálenský and Antonín Lupíšek
Sustainability 2019, 11(21), 6085; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11216085 - 1 Nov 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2908
Abstract
This paper deals with the problem that actual building regulations do not reflect the climate targets set by the Paris Agreement. To address this, a benchmark was developed for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of buildings on the basis of the Emissions Gap Report. [...] Read more.
This paper deals with the problem that actual building regulations do not reflect the climate targets set by the Paris Agreement. To address this, a benchmark was developed for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of buildings on the basis of the Emissions Gap Report. We first applied an equal allocation of the GHG emission limit for 2030 among the forecasted population to calculate a virtual personal GHG emission limit. We took a proportion of this personal limit for the purpose of housing and extrapolated it for the whole building based on the number of occupants. We also undertook a case study of an actual multifamily residential building and compared its standard design to the benchmark using a simplified life cycle assessment (LCA) method in line with the national SBToolCZ method. The results showed that the assessed residential house exceeded the emission requirement by a factor of 2.5. Based on the assessment, six sets of saving measures were proposed to reduce the operational and embodied GHG emissions. The saving measures included change in temperature zoning, improvement of the U-values of the building envelope, exchange of construction materials for reduced embodied GHG emissions, exchange of heat source for biomass boiler, introduction of light-emitting diode (LED) lighting, use of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, addition of vacuum solar collectors, and the addition of photovoltaic (PV) panels. Finally, the variants were compared and their suitability in the Czech conditions was examined. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Affordable Housing Planning for Sustainability)
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