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Interventions for sustainability attainment in affordable housing have received increasing attention from policy makers globally. However, policy-makers' interventions for sustainable affordable housing markets can be inefficient and even counterproductive. As such, among the diverse interventions available, a vital question is what are the potential efficient interventions? To address this question, the views of affordable housing experts (also knowledgeable in sustainable housing) around the world were solicited via a questionnaire survey to identify critical success factors (CSFs) for sustainable affordable housing. Relative significance analysis of the data led to the identification of 13 CSFs. Furthermore, agreement analysis revealed that there is no good agreement between respondents from the academic sector and those from the industrial sector on the ranking of the 13 CSFs. Moreover, through factor analysis, the CSFs were grouped into four underlying components: developer's enabling CSFs; household-demand enabling CSFs; mixed land use CSFs; land use planning CSFs. The research findings seek to inform policy-makers on the CSFs for efficient resource utilization for sustainable affordable housing market. Future study would establish a relationship between the CSFs and success criteria for sustainable affordable housing. • Interventions for sustainable affordable housing could be counterproductive. • Policies for sustainable affordable housing remain a pressing goal. • The findings could inform policy-makers on CSFs for sustainable affordable housing. • The findings could also guide policy-makers on resources use for sustainable affordable housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Studies on specific critical success criteria (CSC) for performance measurement of sustainable affordable housing projects are limited. This study aims to identify and classify the various CSC from the views of affordable housing experts around the world. 21 CSC were identified from a comprehensive literature review followed by a questionnaire survey on the identified 21 CSC. With 51 responses, the data were analyzed. Factor analysis indicated that the various CSC can be grouped into six components: household satisfaction CSC, stakeholders' satisfaction CSC, house operation cost CSC, time measurement CSC, location affordability cost CSC and quality-related CSC. Practically, the findings of this study can serve as a guide for assessing the performance of affordable housing projects as well as serving as a guide to developers, NGOs and government agencies in the allocation of resources for the provision of sustainable affordable housing. Future study would investigate the interrelationship between critical success criteria and critical success factors for sustainable affordable housing. Highlights • Sustainable affordable housing remains a priority for all governments and other policy makers. • Bridging the gap between sustainable housing and affordable housing is exigent. • The findings of this study can serve as a guide for assessing the sustainability performance of affordance housing projects. • The findings can also guide developers and policymakers for sustainable affordable housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable residential buildings and a sustainable housing development (‘sustainable housing’) are key factors in the sustainability strategy of the German government. Certification systems have been developed to assess sustainable housing and to better inform stakeholders and hence improve sustainability in the housing sector. Currently, however, a variety of different certification systems exists to assess sustainable housing using different sets of indicators. The supply of different certification systems to measure the same (‘sustainability’) raises questions of validity of the assessment instruments. Also, different stakeholders hold different interests with regard to sustainability certification systems, which leads to investigate the legitimacy of certification systems. In this study, we applied the theory of social institutions to investigate legitimacy of sustainability certification in the housing sector. To find out about the validity of sustainability measurement, this article presents a survey where real estate stakeholders were asked to evaluate indicators applied by different sustainability certification systems. Results showed high heterogeneity of tastes towards indicators of sustainable housing. Results also identified potential ‘areas of conflicts’ where stakeholders differed most widely in the evaluation of indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the preliminary experimental results of a research project aiming at applying innovative materials and devices to a new modular construction system, named Easy House. The goal of the project is to use specific enabling nanotechnologies to achieve a significant enhancement of thermal performances of the building envelope as well as visual comfort indoor. With this aim, we perform a synthetic chemical route to obtain stable and monodispersed amorphous silica nanocapsules containing phase change materials (PCMs). The first results deriving from in vitro toxicological analyses, here reported, showed that such structures are not harmful and they can be adopted as suitable capsules to host a PCM, typically used in finishing materials, acting as thermal buffers. Moreover, the paper reports the possible advantages deriving from the integration of chromogenic devices, able to ensure energy saving and optimizing the use of daylighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of sustainable housing can take many forms or definitions. The view embraced in this study for sustainable housing was a structure that is low-cost, energy efficient, and one that uses local renewable or recycled materials, while at the same time being safe and providing shelter to its occupants from the elements. Rather than focus on a few aspects of housing in isolation from spatial necessities or occupant demographics, the approach used in this study was to seek best practices for sustainable temporary housing that also accounts for local climatic conditions. The global need for temporary housing may be expected to increase due to multiple factors: increasing severity of natural disasters resulting in large number of displaced peoples; an increase in the number of climate refugees as a result of a changing climate; and the inability of developing countries to provide sufficient infrastructure in pace with their rapid population growth. Novel developments and promising products and methods in the field of temporary disaster relief housing have been reviewed in the study. To date, an engineered solution to the problem that is low-cost, quick to construct, environmentally and socially sustainable, takes into account the needs of the occupant, and accounts for local climatic conditions has not been found. On the contrary, every major disaster proved the inability of governments to cope with the challenges posed with providing for the large numbers of displaced peoples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 5G of Egyptian cities dimensions are urban, building, materials and renewables. • 5G of Egyptian cities design manifesto argue for Neo-Arid city in similar climates. • Neo-Arid city reforms courtyard heritage into urban cluster with BIPV and SCEB. • Free planning reformation of court-yarded urban form responses to microclimate. • Assessment showed improved environmental and socio-economic sustainability measures. As housing represents about 60% of cities land use and cities are responsible for 39% of global carbon emissions, this work investigates the emergence of a new generation of Egyptian cities having urban identity and architectural character revealed through climate responsive urban neighbourhood planning adjunct to its housing design in arid regions, while promoting heritage resembled qualities and eco materials. The methodology of planning and designing such cities' neighbourhoods, by connecting Urban-Building-Materials-Renewables (UBMR), has been manifested so that it can be disseminated for arid regions. A comparison between conventionally designed back to back parcel division planning that formulate dot patterns, with the courtyarded clustered free planning and energy plus designed neighborhood in Cairo, Egypt took place. A multi objective workflow assessment method was applied using ENVI-met V4.0 for urban microcimate simulations, Radiance for annual cumulative radiation and Energy-plus for urban energy use intensity to quantify different environmental sustainability measures and persuade decision-makers of the suggested design paradigm shift. Further, life cycle cost (LCC) analysis took place to correlate and quantify assessment measures of applied environmental and socio-economic sustainability systems, such as the Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV), low-cost Stabilized Compressed Earth Blocks (SCEB) construction that support envelope passive design, affordability, and housing diversity. Combined UBMR solutions showed improved comfortable outdoor areas by 47.8% during extreme summer afternoon, increased annual solar energy generation potential by 13.87% and the energy-efficient envelope reduced cooling energy consumption by 28.9% while reducing cost of construction by 95.5%. As of socio-economic sustainability, all measures showed an evidence of preferability for the court-yarded clustered urban form attributed to the low-cost construction that offered more affordability over 50 and 100 years with green industrial and construction mechanism that empowered job opportunities, more housing designs' diversity that can be generated per each cluster, and more walkable streets according to pedestrian comfort maps. Modeling the 3D recipe of environment consciousness while retrieving the socio-economic flavor values of ancestors' free planning renewed the architectural character and urban identity picture, as if getting back to heritage free planning that generates courtyarded urban clusters could evolve a future class climate responsive Neo-Arid city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Examined assumptions applied to lifecycle costing of zero energy housing scenarios. [•] Case study of housing in Victoria, Australia. [•] Changes to key assumptions have a significant impact on lifecycle cost outcomes. [•] The use of conservative or historical data is problematic for policy development. [•] Need to review assumptions applied by policy-makers regarding housing performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sustainable housing development is essential for achieving the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. However, amid increasing housing deficits, investing in sustainable housing is widely perceived as a risky venture among policymakers and potential developers. This study explores the risk factors that hinder sustainable housing in developing economies using Ghana as a case study. Through a comprehensive literature review, a list of 30 risk factors was established and categorized into five thematic groups. These factors and groups were used to conduct a questionnaire survey among professionals in the Ghanaian housing market to assess progress on achieving sustainable development goals in housing and the risk factors that affect these. Fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) analysis conducted on risk factors revealed that 'financing-related' is the most critical risk category followed by 'procurement-related', 'design and construction', 'operation and maintenance' and 'political-related' risk factors. By prioritizing the risk categories, the findings apprise policymakers and practitioners of the risk factors that require more attention to achieve sustainable housing development. Additionally, the study stipulates measures for mitigating critical risks and for promoting efficient eminent domain on land, energy efficient retrofitting, transparent procurement, effective contractual strategies and efficient co-production and co-designing for sustainable housing development. • This paper employs an objective and bias-free fuzzy set technique for assessing risk factors for sustainable housing. • 'Financing-related risk category' has the highest magnitude of impact on sustainable housing. • The overall magnitude of risk impact on sustainable housing is moderately high. • The estimated impact of each risk category is essential for efficient resource allocation. • From the results, strategies are suggested for sustainable housing especially in cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing trend in academic research in Saudi Arabia on the topics related to sustainable housing and the relative health of the occupants. This article deals with the evaluation of the innovative teaching strategies implemented while completing the planning of a healthy sustainable housing project in an intensive design studio workshop of 3rd year students at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning in Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam. The students were supervised by the respective department faculty members as well as the experts from the industry invited for the sessional and final jury exams. The studio workshop resulted in a comprehensive master plan of a healthy sustainable neighborhood that was designed based on the main objective of the health of the occupants. The designed master plan took into account the national and international planning standards, local housing policies, and regulations. Students showed substantial advances in their skills and understanding of the project. The output of the design studio was measured by comparing the average student score and online feedback surveys for the last five years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The objective of this research is to compare the energy consumption of seven recently built residential neighborhoods in the urban region of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, in order to identify the influence of centrality on total energy spending. Primary energy is used as a common reference value to include the energy required for construction, operation and transportation. An additional objective is to identify which types of energy expenditures account for the largest portion of the overall balance. Operating energy has the greatest impact on the total consumption, which highlights the need for measures promoting the construction of buildings that are highly energy efficient, despite the additional initial investment. Total energy consumption correlates to centrality only when related to households, which highlights the prevalence of occupant density over built density. These results allow setting objectives for new urban housing that meet both energy standards for buildings and the needs of households that contain a greater number of people, in an attractive, affordable manner. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Buildings are the most important economical sector in the world but also the major contributors of environmental damage, from the sourcing of raw materials through to the energy used for their functioning and to the disposal of their elements once their life cycle comes to an end. Almost half of the UK’s carbon emissions come from the use of buildings and houses alone account for more than 30% of all primary energy demand. In an attempt to reduce this impact, the British Government is pushing towards the development of energy efficient and zero carbon buildings, both in new construction and in the existing stock. But how is the market receiving such buildings? Are energy efficient buildings gaining a competitive advantage in the current marketplace? In some countries such as The Netherlands, energy efficient houses reach values 2.8% higher on average than normal houses. In the UK the Sustainability Property Index (ISPI) reveals that, for the properties examined in 2010, regular properties delivered a cumulative total return of −10.8%, compared with −14.9% for more energy efficient ones. This is bad news considering the higher capital investment usually needed to achieve zero carbon buildings. The current reality in the UK market seems to be that people may not (yet) be willing to pay more rent for energy efficient buildings. As rent and capital value are inexorably linked, whether or not a building is zero carbon does not yet seem to be affecting property value. This paper does not present definitive answers but discusses possible reasons for that through two case studies and their positions in the marketplace, and suggests that the situation may change as energy prices increase and buildings acquire a potential ‘earning capacity’ through the use of renewable energy technologies and feed-in tariffs. The introduction of Energy Performance Certificates has also started to impact on the market. Could energy efficient buildings become a property sector in their own right in the near future, with premium priced accordingly? Or is simply that we do not yet have an ability to identify from the data whether the market is differentiating? [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The concepts of sustainability and sustainable development are considered as the current controversial issues in most countries especially the developing countries, leading up to the sustainable architecture. One of the most important challenges opposing the sustainable development is the high housing costs along with the low-income strata''s economic limitations, whereas according to the Millennium Development Goals, the governments are required to provide all the people with the housing. This paper is to emphasize on the role of new technologies like LSF to supply the economic and sustainable housing. The research main question is whether the utilization of LSF structures can reduce the construction costs and so enhance the possibility of housing ownership. And how is the situation for the case of Iran? To answer the research question, the base construction costs to construct a 75 square meter standard residential house with the conventional structures and the LSF structures are calculated separately. Then the construction costs of a 75 square meter standard residential house with two mentioned constructive methods in the cities of Qom, Kashan, Isfahan and Tehran as the research case-studies are estimated separately. The comparison of the conventional construction costs with the LSF costs shows that LSF technology reducing the construction costs plays the pivotal role in the control of housing shortage crisis and the increase of the house ownership''s possibility and finally the housing sustainability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sustainable housing is receiving increasing attention by policy makers, architects, consumers and scholars. This study aims at enhancing our knowledge on the environmental impact of sustainable houses by performing a Life Cycle Assessment on a single case study. The case study is performed on a single low-energy building containing 19 flats using the Eco-indicator’99 method. The results indicate that the choice of insulating materials has a significant impact on the eco-score of the design. The materials’ production turns out to be by far the most influential, which bears the consequence that architects and consumers should focus on choosing the best materials in terms of eco-score instead of focusing on an environmental-friendly design. Waste recycling (if possible) has a lower eco-score compared to waste disposal (dumping or burning). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The purpose of this research is to develop a new affordable and sustainable green home which focusing on affordability of young generation to have their own house in early age of working. When housing affordability is measured by rent-income ratios based on annual income, affordability must be correlated with income. Moreover, housing will appear to be less affordable for the very young and very old; it will appear to be more affordable to households at the peak of their lifetime income profiles [1] (Quigley J.M & Raphael. S (2004). In addition with the nation''s need to fulfill the people housing needs, green sustainable living is also of importance to the government. With global concern on the environment and sustaining the world resources for the future generations, Malaysia has also embarked on initiatives for sustainable development. Green house is one of the best doable efforts that could be taken up for the cause. Incorporating rain-water harvesting system in the housing development is what this research is focusing on. This research then appraises the costing of materials for commercial housing development as possible avenue for cost reduction in the house price. Another element is the management of materials at construction site. It is hoped that out of this research a Commercially Affordable Sustainable House (CASH) module could be developed and later implemented for meeting the country''s housing needs and becoming an environmentally responsible country at the same time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sustainable housing is one of the many pathways to reduce the impacts of climate change. Among developed nations, Australia has made significant progress in this area. Legislative and financial incentives are in place. High quality rating tools were developed to measure and administer legislative requirements. There are a good number of demonstration homes across Australia to promote sustainable housing. The Ecohome was a demonstration home in Melbourne and a part of a multidisciplinary research team looking at sustainability and innovation in outer suburban residential developments. Assessment of thermal performance is a key component of outcomes of a sustainable house. In this emerging field, a set of thermal performance indicators are proposed and may be utilized when outside and inside temperature monitoring data is available. Key indicators include attenuation factor, time lag, percentage time in comfort zone, heating and cooling demand and degrees warmer. The Ecohome at Cairnlea in Melbourne was monitored during 2004 to 2006 for a total period of more than fourteen months. Thermal performance was assessed using these indicators. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Over the last year there has been a remarkable change in politicians'' attitudes within Denmark and EU member states to the issue of climate change. This change in the political mindset is a result of the increasing frequency of high winds and flooding in Denmark and Europe, as well as in many other places around the world in recent years. This has resulted in an increasing challenge in terms of the planning, design and building of more sustainable buildings in order to reduce the use of energy for heating and cooling in new housing projects by bringing down the emission of CO2 by reducing the amount of fossil fuel consumed by the built environment. This is crucial since carbon dioxide is one of the so-called greenhouse gases that is playing a major role in global warming. There is thus an increased focus on reducing the CO2 level on a national and global scale. This article will look at the architectural and legislative changes in Denmark in relation to the increased political interest in the consequences of climate change. The article also discusses a survey of different types of approaches to the sustainable design of buildings and shows examples of new Danish housing projects that can minimise the use of energy for heating and cooling in the shape of detached houses, as well as a master thesis on high-rise houses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: UK cities have been subject to severe social and economic pressures over the past few decades, which have had an uneven spatial impact on the urban environment and have given a rise to the concentration of the most deprived households in the worst urban neighbourhoods. The current government objective can be interpreted as an attempt to implement regeneration projects or create sustainable communities to improve quality of life. Housing is a key issue to consider in delivering healthy and attractive communities. Sustainable housing should be well available, high-quality, economical, ecological, aesthetical design, comfortable and cosy one, which would better suit the needs of a person. Furthermore, dwelling houses, apartments or, in other words, housing premises, must be set out according to the conditions of that locality and must meet the established technical and hygienic requirements. The article focuses on sustainable housing issue in the UK and a sustainable housing development model for communities is proposed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The materials and energy sources needed for construction are limited by island conditions. Until recent decades, earth was widely used as a construction material in northern Cyprus due to its abundance and many technical advantages, however, as a construction material, earth is vulnerable to moisture. Ongoing research into gypsum-stabilized earth (known as Alker) at Istanbul Technical University since 1978 demonstrates the superior physical properties, increased durability, and human health benefits of this improved earthen material. This study examines the use of Alker as a wall material to contribute to sustainable development in Northern Cyprus. The historical building materials and environmental resources of Cyprus are investigated and documented to gain an idea of what is involved in the socio-cultural, economical, and ecological sustainability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sustainability has been enshrined as a goal of society to ensure that the satisfaction of present needs does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is thus a social objective, achievable only where all areas of society co-operate in fulfilling the associated demands. Ecological sustainability is, in turn, a basic prerequisite for sustainable economic and social development. The first step in formulating an effective response to this challenge, focused solely on the environmental issues, entails a quantification of the contribution required from the various areas of human activity for the achievement of sustainable development. Without binding sub-targets for the different sectors, it will be all but impossible to move systematically towards a sustainable society. These benchmarks for sustainable construction therefore set out to define the requirements to be met by buildings and structures in contributing to the achievement of a sustainable society. The permissible impact of buildings, in terms of energy demand and pollutant loads, during construction, maintenance and operation is determined. The analysis focuses on identifying the permissible levels of loads based on the specific energy consumption per m2 and year for heating, hot water, electricity and construction. A conscious attempt is made to combine existing methods with the general political consensus by taking account of: [-] the ecological scarcity method [G. Brand, A. Scheidegger, O. Schwank, A. Braunschweig, Bewertung in Ökobilanzen mit der Methode der ökologischen Knappheit (Life cycle analysis using ecological scarcity method), Environmental Publication no. 297, Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape (SAEFL), 1997] used to define critical pollutant loads; [-] the limitation of greenhouse gas emissions specified by the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Climate Change 2001, IPCC Third Assessment Report, www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/]; [-] the demands of the 2000W society [Leichter leben – Ein Verständnis für unsere Ressourcen als Schlüssel zu einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung – die 2000-Watt-Gesellschaft (Easier living – understanding our resources as the key to sustainable development – the 2000Watt society), novatlanis, sia, energieschweiz, January 2005] for the conservation of energy resources. The study shows that buildings designed to the Passive House standard just about comply with the requirements for sustainable construction, provided electricity generation is based largely on renewable or low-CO2 resources (Swiss power supply mix). The targets are substantially harder to meet where mainly fossil-fuel-generated electricity (European supply mix UCTE) is used. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In order to ensure China, a populous country, to develop in a sustainable way, it is an urgent task to disseminate the concept of sustainability and put it into practice for urban construction. However, it is impossible for China to simply copy the experiences of developed countries, since China has the higher population and building density and less availability of reusable energy per square meter floor area. Therefore, it is necessary to develop the sustainable building technologies applicable to various climate regions, economic conditions, and residential customs in China, as well as sustainable to the most occupants and owners. Based on an introduction of the current situation of the development of construction industry and the energy consumption of buildings in China, this paper analyses the requirements, characteristics, standards for sustainable housing and urban construction, and recommends series of technical approaches along with different phases of sustainable design and construction, which strengthen a good cooperation among researchers, designers and constructors of different majors including architecture, planning, building physics, building services, and so on. Moreover, some issues, which need further research and especially handling, are pointed out along with the recommendations. Finally, policy issue related with the sustainable development of urban construction in China is discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study investigates the causal relationships among 'institutional', 'economic', 'social' and 'environmental' sustainability barriers in addition to assessing their effects on sustainable housing. A questionnaire survey was conducted with professionals in the regulated sector of the Ghanaian housing market. Data collected were analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Results revealed the following significant paths among the barriers: 'institutional barriers' to 'economic barriers' path is supported at a significance level of p <.05 at a t-value of 2.125; 'institutional barriers' to 'social barriers' path is also supported at a significance level of p <.05 at a t-value of 2.132 and likewise 'institutional barriers' to 'environmental barriers' path of p <.01 at a t-value of 3.740. Between the barriers and sustainable housing, both 'institutional barriers' and 'environmental barriers' have significant impacts on sustainable housing at t-values of 3.673 and 1.790 supported at p <.01 and p <.10, respectively. Three underlying barriers, viz: 'bureaucratic delays', 'policy instability' and 'weak enforcement of development control on land' accounted for all the significant paths of the 'institutional barriers'. Among them 'policy instability' has the highest loading, suggesting that it is the biggest barrier to sustainable housing. Essentially, the findings unraveled the causal-effect relationships among the four categories of barriers and a predictive model between the barriers and sustainable housing. Accordingly, the 'institutional barriers' are causal barriers that have multiplier effects on 'economic', 'social' and 'environmental' barriers. The findings of this study contribute to the global body of knowlege on housing by investigating the interactive effects of institutional, economic, social and environmental sustainability barriers on sustainable housing. This equips policymakers and practitioners with deeper knowledge, enabling effective decisions, policies and strategies to overcome the barriers and promote sustainable housing development and supply. • This paper employs partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). • Four barrier categories were established, viz: 'economic', 'social', 'environmental' and 'institutional' sustainability barriers. • Findings of the study revealed that institutional barriers have significant impacts on the other barrier categories. • Both the institutional barriers and environmental barriers have significant impacts on sustainable housing. • Among underlying institutional barriers, 'policy instability' has the highest loading; thus, it is the biggest barrier to sustainable housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Waste derived from palm oil and steel industries has potential to be used as cement and aggregates replacement. • The structural performance of the environmentally friendly masonry products is very good. • Minimal reduction of compressive strengths was observed in innovative masonry elements. • Structural performance of masonry products satisfactory to utilise in masonry structure for sustainable housing. Masonry buildings are in great demand in developing countries due to the need for sustainable and affordable housing. However, increased materials costs and carbon emissions associated with the production and use of conventional masonry products and need for higher standard of living have led to a steady increase in embodied energy use and costs of construction. There have been worldwide efforts to replace some of the traditional masonry components such as cement with industrial and agricultural byproducts in order to reduce cost and embodied energy. In this study, the structural performance and behavior of innovative masonry, i.e., masonry structural elements that incorporated industrial by-products, were analysed. The characteristics of innovative masonry were evaluated by determining its compressive strength in prisms and wallette structures, tensile and shear strengths in wallettes and walls, flexural strength in masonry beams, and axial compression strength in reinforced and unreinforced masonry columns. The moduli of elasticity of innovative masonry products were also determined and compared to that of conventional masonry. The tests showed that the strength of innovative masonry was between 70 and 90% that of conventional masonry, which can be considered adequate and satisfactory for construction applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable housing that both creates good indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and avoids unnecessary energy use has proved difficult to realize. Renovations of multifamily houses provide an opportunity to find this balance. This study concerns whether tenants perceive that conditions for achieving sufficient IEQ with low energy use exist. Focus group interviews with 42 participants, in areas where the rents were in the lower range and included heating up to 21 °C, aimed to capture the tenants' perceptions of: IEQ and actions taken to regulate it; information and control; the connections between IEQ and energy use; and the role of the housing company. Good IEQ was crucial to interviewees, who described it as sufficient heat without draughts, ability to ventilate, and no disturbing sounds or smells. The main responsibility was attributed to the housing company, but daily regulation controlled by tenants. However, unclear interfaces between tenants and the systems that regulate IEQ make it difficult for tenants to act as a positive part of the system. Tenants did not link IEQ to energy use. A holistic view of the physical environment's affordances, including intuitive interfaces, could optimize the balance between good IEQ and energy use. • Tenants care about IEQ but leave the responsibility for energy use to the landlord. • Information on heating and ventilation is not recognized by tenants. • Thermostats and valves must be designed so that they can be used intuitively. • Contacts with the housing company impact how IEQ is understood and regulated. • Optimized balance between tenants, IEQ and energy requires a holistic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The checklist helps urban designers and planners to assess the urban design qualities of residential complexes in peripheral parts of cities. • A weighting method is introduced to achieve a consensus in different aspects of quality issues with key decision-makers. • The new assessment tool contains three dimensions of residential design: "functional", "experiential-aesthetics", and "environmental". Today, there are difficulties emerging in the majority of peripheral areas of the cities such as car domination, disconnection from the center, lack of environmental and social sustainability, and prioritizing of rapid and extensive patterns of growth over the quality of life. It is necessary to pay attention to the design quality of residential environments at an urban scale rather than merely focusing on single buildings. Therefore, this study was performed to develop a comprehensive checklist of design qualities for assessing residential complexes located in peripheral areas of cities. This research was conducted in two steps: Desk study and fieldwork. In the desk study step, theoretical sources, successful practices, and design assessment tools were evaluated. They were used to propose a checklist of urban design qualities for residential complexes. In the second step, the researchers asked a group of experts to prioritize qualities in pairwise comparison (using the AHP method in Expert Choice software) and then assess four residential complexes in new peripheral parts of Kerman City according to the proposed checklist. Finally, the obtained data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results show that environmental and functional dimensions earned the lowest and highest points, respectively. Among the 25 qualities of the checklist, six of them were not present in any case studies, four of which belong to the environmental dimension. The overall achievement of this research was developing a checklist for urban designers and planners to assess the urban design qualities of residential complexes located in the peripheral parts of the Iranian cities and similar developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green residential architecture is reviewed considering the green movement that has taken place since the 1950's to 2010's describing and evaluating the most relevant housing projects that integrate an energy systems approach to reduced demand, renewable energy supply and energy storage. This review shows that green residential architecture has evolved significantly, has been named differently depending on the interests or concerns at the time, and has advanced at varying speeds depending on the technological, economic, environmental and political barriers and drivers at the time. Eighty-two green residential case studies are evaluated, focusing on the UK (30% of the case studies), but also Europe, the USA and worldwide. It is found that the most popular strategies for reduced energy demand are fabric first approach (89% of the case studies) and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (64%) for renewable energy supply are solar thermal collectors (79%) and photovoltaic panels (58%), and for energy storage are hot water tanks (57%). In conclusion, 67% of the case studies have a whole energy systems-based approach with an average of 5.2 technologies per house. • Review of eighty-two international case studies of green residential architecture that integrate an energy systems approach to reduced demand, renewable energy supply and energy storage. • Green architecture focuses on climate, comfort, shelter, energy, materials, technology and emissions. • Strategies to reduce energy demand: insulated fabric, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR), low energy appliances and LED lights. • Technologies for renewable heating supply: solar collectors, air source heat pumps (ASHP), ground source heat pumps (GSHP), stoves, biomass and combined heat and power (CHP). Technologies for renewable electricity supply: photovoltaic panels (PV) and wind turbines. • Technologies for energy storage: domestic hot water tanks, phase change materials, heat sinks and electrical batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a significant thrive towards sustainable development globally, sustainability attainment in affordable housing for low-income earners is fundamental. Identifying obstacles to sustainability attainment is primal to successful policy implementation. This study aims to identify critical barriers (CBs) to sustainable affordable housing (SAH) from an international perspective. To this end, 26 barriers were identified from comprehensive literature review and empirical questionnaire survey was conducted with 51 affordable housing experts from various countries around the world. Factor analysis on identified CBs revealed five components: green retrofit-related; land market-related; incentive-related; housing market-related and infrastructural-related barriers. Moreover, rank agreement analysis of the components showed high agreement levels on 'incentive-related barriers' and 'housing market-related barriers' between experts from developing and developed countries. The research findings are relevant to policy-makers and practitioners in adopting tactical measures for worldwide SAH. Besides, the identified CBs serve as recommended set of barriers for further empirical study to unearth local variations and context specific barriers to SAH in most countries. • Sustainability attainment in affordable housing (SAH) is fundamental for a significant sustainable development. • Identifying obstacles to SAH is primal to successful policy implementation. • Globally, 'incentive-related' and 'housing market-related' barriers are implicated in the inadequate SAH. • The research findings are relevant to policy-makers in adopting measures for SAH. • The World Bank and the United Nation (UN) could incorporate the findings into their international programs for SAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The paper investigates the energy use behaviour of a specific demographic and ethnic group, that of British Indian households. • A housing survey is deployed to gather self-reported information about British Indian households' energy use behaviour across a range of indicators. • In the Indian context, the house is used as a means of projecting wealth, whereas they give more importance to cultural values in the UK. • There is a consistency in attitudes towards energy conservation between indigenous and diaspora communities in the UK but with significant exceptions. • This research provides a strong base for additional research to understand user's energy behaviour and consequent energy conservation. The notional benefits of more efficient use and effective retrofit to existing housing is both sensible and attractive. Unlike new build, performance improvements cannot be pursued purely by legislation and regulation. Instead, householders need to be persuaded of the material benefits of better energy practices. In improving energy efficiency in the home, providing relevant and useful guidance is critical. Current guidance rarely takes account of specific cultural and ethnic circumstances. The research examines the relationship between cultural values and the energy use behaviour of diaspora households in the UK. The paper presents the results of two surveys that seek to measure energy use practices in the British Indian community. The first, conducted by the authors in England, seeks to understand attitudes and habits in relation to energy consumption in the home for British Indians. This is compared to a wider survey of British attitudes using an identical question set as undertaken by the EnerGAware project. The second survey researches cultural perspectives on the home in a British Indian community. This is compared to an identical survey conducted by the authors with comparative Indian households. The results of the research highlight where behavioural characteristics between the two contexts diverge. The paper suggests there are key areas for future research using ethnographic as well as quantitative techniques to produce tailored strategies for energy conservation in British Indian communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]