Magdalena Baborska-Narozny

Overheating in retrofitted flats: occupant practices, learning and interventions

ABSTRACT The overheating risk in flats (apartments) retrofitted to energy-efficient standards has been identified by previous studies as one that is particularly high. With climate change and rising mean temperatures this is a growing concern. There is a need to understand the kinds of practices, learning and interventions adopted by the occupants of individual homes to try to reduce overheating, as this area is poorly understood and under-researched. This case study focuses on the impact of different home-use practices in relation to the severity of overheating in 18 flats in one tower block in northern England. Internal temperatures monitored in comparable flats show that the percentage of time spent above the expected category II threshold of thermal comfort according to BS EN 15251 can differ by over 70%. Extensive monitoring, covering a full year, including two summer periods, has identified emergent changes in heatwave practices linked with increased home-use skills and understanding among the research participants. Close analysis of design intentions versus reality has identified key physical barriers and social learning opportunities for appropriate adaptation in relation to heatwaves. Recommendations for designers and policy-makers are highlighted in relation to these factors.

Resilience, redundancy and low-carbon living: co-producing individual and community learning

There is an acknowledged need for buildings and communities to be more resilient in the face of unpredictable effects of climate change, economic crises and energy supplies. The notion and social practices involving ‘redundancy’ (the ability to switch between numerous available choices beyond optimal design) are explored as an aspect of resilience theory. Practice and Social Learning theories are used as a lens through which to explore the available redundancy in housing and home environments to help prevent performance failure through unexpected circumstances or in response to varying user needs. Findings from an in depth UK housing case study show how redundancy is linked with the capacity to share resources and to learn both individually and collectively as a community. Such learning in relation to resilient low-carbon living is shown to be co-produced effectively through participatory action research. The benefits of introducing extra redundancy in housing design and community development to accommodate varied user’s understanding and preferences are discussed in relation to future proofing, value and scalar issues. Recommendations include better understanding of the design, time and monetary contribution needed to implement social or technical redundancy. These costs should be evaluated in context of savings made through greater resilience achieved.

Exploring the Efficacy of Facebook Groups for Collective Occupant Learning About Using Their Homes

Using Facebook Groups to connect otherwise anonymous people that live in a single urban development is a relatively new phenomenon. Within residential developments, there are a number of common comfort, management, and performance issues experienced by many isolated inhabitants that are identified through building performance evaluation studies. Facebook is a ubiquitous social network tool and powerful communication platform, particularly popular among young adults. This article explores the use of closed Facebook Groups in relation to collective learning about home use in two residential communities in the United Kingdom. Data were collected through longitudinal digital and physical visits to case study residential developments and to the Facebook Group sites. Group development, dynamics, and the quality of knowledge sharing is evaluated. Findings are presented in relation to home use learning, as it proved to be a vital theme of each Group’s activity. We propose that weak-tie urban communities can develop collective efficacy through communicating on a Facebook Group that enables quality learning based on reciprocal sharing of experiences and knowledge by its members. This helps tackle comfort issues experienced, lower the cost of living, and share bespoke, context-specific home use best practice. Strong engagement and leadership of group administrators limited to early stages of the Groups’ formation followed by high rate of activity by the majority of members was key. There was a clear overlap observed between social media narrative and the physical experiences of daily life, which helps support residents. The analysis suggests the positive effect of the learning environment created bottom-up would not be easily transferable to professional applications.

Exploring the Relationship Between a 'Facebook Group' and Face-to-Face Interactions in 'Weak-Tie' Residential Communities

Using Facebook Groups to connect otherwise anonymous people that live in a single urban development is a relatively new phenomenon. Within residential developments there are a number of common management and performance issues experienced by many isolated inhabitants that are identified through building performance evaluation studies. Facebook is a ubiquitous social network tool and powerful communication platform, particularly popular among young adults. This paper explores the use of Facebook in relation to management and performance issues in two cases of Facebook Group usage within residential communities in the UK. Data was collected through longitudinal digital and physical visits to the residential communities and to the Facebook Group sites. Findings are presented in relation to home learning, site/neighbourhood and self-organising initiatives. We propose that weak-tie residential communities can develop collective efficacy and work together for the overall good of the residential development through communicating on a Facebook Group. This helps to improve the physical environment, facilitating further collective action. There is a clear overlap between social media narrative and the physical experience of daily life, which can help to empower residents.

Housing performance evaluation: challenges for international knowledge exchange

ABSTRACT Developing effective building performance evaluation and feedback processes is a vital part of global efforts to reduce building energy use and gain insight into the actual performance of buildings and technologies. Although attempts have been made to introduce internationally agreed models for these processes, it is clear that various countries are producing different approaches according to their cultural, institutional and policy differences. Knowledge exchange is potentially a key means of developing a shared understanding of values, meanings and practices in relation to building performance evaluation. This paper identifies cultural and institutional barriers in the European Union for international building performance communities of practice utilizing knowledge exchange, from an experiential ‘real-world’ perspective. The preparation of a 30-month research project to help develop building performance evaluation in Poland and an associated bilateral symposium is closely evaluated through an action research case study in terms of the stakeholders, the national contexts in which they operated and the key challenges they faced. Recommendations are then made in terms of the support needed to develop more responsive research programmes in relation to developing international knowledge exchange, and the capacity-building elements required for these international communities of practice.

Comparison of Design Intentions and Construction Solutions Delivered to Enhance Environmental Performance and Minimize Carbon Emissions of a New Public School in Wroclaw

The paper presents an analysis of the first public school complex in Wroclaw, Poland to use renewable energy sources with an introductory summary of low emissions constructions in Poland. Described is the process of the building’s delivery and a preliminary evaluation of selected design solutions. The building, completed in the year 2009, is planned for an in-depth POE to start this year – the first such broad evaluation project to be carried out in Poland. An in depth knowledge of the design and construction process, measurements taken already, feedback from the occupants, and tracks of all faults reported so far, allow a preliminary evaluation of the building’s environmental performance. A comparison of total energy consumption and CO2 emissions between the analyzed building and two other selected schools from Wroclaw is included. It is based on energy bills for all fuel sources used. It indicates energy efficiency of the building and relatively high CO2 emissions due to its sole dependence on electricity.

Service controls interfaces in housing: usability and engagement tool development

ABSTRACT Domestic buildings are increasingly complex, saturated with services that need coherent control if design and inhabitants’ goals are to be achieved. The evidenced inappropriate use of controls linked with a performance gap suggests that effective methods for assessing the inhabitants’ relationship with control interfaces for services are needed within building performance evaluation and practice studies. The development of a bespoke domestic usability tool over two iterations is presented, demonstrating new insights into the relationship between design and inhabitant engagement with controls. Deep contextual development came from trialling the tool in four UK domestic case studies. Understanding the purpose of a control interface and the inhabitants’ role was found to be a fundamental diagnostic for inhabitant engagement. The tool became a prompt for immediate action or further information-seeking for one-quarter of households involved in its application. However, the affordances and physical issues identified could not be addressed without major physical changes, which should have been picked up at the design and construction stages. Organizational learning based on the tool findings was triggered in one of four developers involved. The challenges for developing usability studies are discussed with recommendations provided for different actors in the housing and construction industry on how to progress them.

Understanding Opportunities and Barriers for Social Occupant Learning in Low Carbon Housing

The effectiveness of the collective learning that takes place in modern housing developments can play a major role in terms of housing performance. Building performance evaluation (BPE) currently does not address the type and quality of collective learning processes happening within a community in relation to occupants using their new homes. A Social Learning Tool is proposed to extend BPE methodology and provide a framework to help researchers better understand the nature and degree of home user collective learning and community involvement which can in turn enhance the BPE process. A first partial application of the tool to six case study dwellings within a low carbon development in Leeds allowed identification of barriers and opportunities for collective learning.

Preliminary Evaluation of Design and Construction Details to Maximize Health and Well-Being in a New Built Public School in Wroclaw

The paper presents preliminary evaluation of a design approach and solutions applied in the first sustainable school complex in Wroclaw, Poland. The scope of this paper is focused on health and wellbeing of the occupants. The building completed in the year 2009 is planned for an in-depth POE to start this year – the first such broad evaluation project to be carried out in Poland. Measurements taken already and the feedback from the occupants received so far indicate whether certain design intentions have been met. Selected usability problems that have already occurred are discussed as well as the way the occupants cope with them. Selected details that proved to be successful are also presented. An overview of the process of the building delivery, handover and maintenance is also presented as in the authors opinion it has a major impact on the building’s overall performance. The paper concludes that most usability problems are lessons to be learned indicating improvements that can be made in a building’s life early stages.