Improving the energy performance of existing building refurbishment has been identified as one of the key measures to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions and combat climate change. According to Environmental Protection Department, buildings in Hong Kong take up almost 90% of urban electricity consumption. Sustainable building refurbishment not only can help decrease energy consumption but may also improve building’s overall condition, and thus prolong its life, uplift the living conditions, ensure better health and safety as well as minimize the negative effects to environment. To respond to the energy emission reduction, many researchers focus on technical improvements through various refurbishment methods. However, there is a research gap in determining the appropriate refurbishment solutions for high-rise residential buildings in developed cities like Hong Kong. The challenge is aggravated as there are a number of owners and occupants in multi-storey residential buildings and their behaviour can be very different. Albeit more and more attentions have been attributed to human behaviours and occupant satisfaction, little has been done to examine their effects to the choices and success of sustainable refurbishment solutions. This study aims to systematically analyse the effect of human behaviour to the satisfaction of sustainable refurbishment by setting up a unified model so as to maximize the opportunity for emission reduction without sacrificing the satisfaction of owners and occupants. Literature review was first conducted to attain the knowledge of sustainable refurbishment and human behaviour. Then, a list of potential sustainable building refurbishment method items was compiled under five criteria through literature review. In order to further examine the suitability of sustainable building refurbishment methods in Hong Kong scenario from the perspective of owners and occupants, a questionnaire survey was administered. Following that, literature review and interviews were carried out to identify a set of critical success factors (CSFs) of electing sustainable refurbishment strategies as well as key performance indicators (KPIs) of a sustainable building refurbishment scheme. Based on that, another questionnaire survey was conducted to examine the occupants’ perception to the relative importance of the identified CSFs and KPIs. Finally, a structural equation model was set up to unveil the relationships between occupants’ satisfaction and project success, and the findings were validated through expert interviews. The results shows that disruption is the most important factors affecting occupants’ decisions, followed by Management and Organization; Comfort; Cost; and Health and Safety. The technological and environmental accomplishments are proven to be the most important KPIs to the success of a sustainable building refurbishment project. The model developed can help decision-makers select on suitable sustainable building refurbishment methods to meet the social expectations of occupants while achieving the carbon emission target. / published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1980. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 131-133). / This thesis deals with inhabitants' modifications of the 19th century sidehall houses in East Boston, now a predominantly Italian neighborhood. On the basis of the data obtained by a survey and observations, the practical reasons and social and psychological implications of each identified pattern of both interior and exterior modification are analyzed. Inhabitant s modify their houses according to their changing living situations, or special needs that are different in each family. They can correspond with the changing living standard in the whole society and developing technology by constantly modifying their houses. Housing modification functions as an important adaptation mechanism especially for working class people who cannot easily move from one place to another because of financial constraints and the tight social relationships among them in the region. Modifications are also a means of self-expression for the inhabitants. As they modify their houses they always try to imply their taste and values through the modifications. They try to define their own territories and personalize them through modifications. Modifications are the results of inhabitants' active reactions to such needs, which are quite essential to them. After all, home modification, which has been ignored by most architects despite its familiarity in the United States, has great significance to the inhabitants, psychologically as well as practically. It enhances the inhabitants' sense of ownership, competence and self-worth. / by Toshihito Yokouchi. / M.Arch.

The pressure to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has become increasingly obvious due to the need to alleviate the impact of climate change. As the second largest GHG emitter in the world, the building sector should play an active role in reducing GHG emissions. Particular attention should be directed to existing buildings not only because of the amount of emissions caused by inefficient buildings but also due to the existence of a variety of sustainable refurbishment solutions for different levels and stages of building refurbishment. The emission reduction performance of different sustainable refurbishment options may vary enormously as a result of different building design conditions. With the majority of residential properties being high-rise buildings, the most suitable sustainable refurbishment options for a sub-tropical city like Hong Kong are yet to be fully investigated. The opportunity to reduce emission may not be high without a tool to help the owners, occupants and consultants to assess the emission of different refurbishment solutions for multi-storey residential building. The aim of this research has been to develop a systematic decision tool to identify suitable sustainable refurbishment solutions for multi-story residential buildings in subtropical regions like Hong Kong and to calculate the CO2emission reductions of these solutions. The research began with a comprehensive literature review of the existing sustainable refurbishment approaches. The results of this literature review formed the basis for a preliminary screening according to local climate and buildings features. Interviews with experts and questionnaire surveys with residents were carried out in order to confirm the applicability of the proposed approaches. Then, based on a case study, this research established a set of methods, through literature review and energy simulation, to calculate the CO2 emission reductions achievable by sustainable refurbishment. With the setup of criteria for identifying applicable refurbishment solutions, method of calculation of CO2 emission reductions and parameter input/output and user interface design, a decision tool was developed for sustainable refurbishment. Finally, a series of interviews was conducted to validate the major research outcomes. In this study, a residential building is divided into two zones, the common area and those occupied by owners/tenants. This study further identifies possible sustainable refurbishment solutions for each area, which can provide stakeholders with a variety of options for launching sustainable refurbishment projects. Moreover, a theoretical framework for emission assessment, consisting of system boundary and calculation methods, is also proposed in this study, which can provide better calculation of emission reductions as a result of various sustainable refurbishment solutions. The most significant outcome of this project is a decision tool which can generate a set of sustainable refurbishment solutions and calculate CO2 emission reductions according to the architectural features input by users. With the function of identifying the approaches for reducing CO2emission, owners and occupants of existing residential buildings can minimize the CO2emissions of their properties through refurbishing some of the building components in a sustainable manner. / published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

In recent years, home modification has played an increasingly important role in the housing industry. Expenditures on renovation have consistently exceeded those spent on new home construction during the 1990s. And it has huge potential to continuously increase in the years to come. Renovators' do-it-yourself activities are efficient ways to fulfill homeowners' psychological and physical needs and save expensive labour costs. / This research investigates not only the technology evolution of ten products and the installation processes that are frequently used by renovators, but also the fundamental reasons that drive the development of these innovations. It covers the technology from the beginning of this century to the latest innovations developed by manufactures in the 1990s. Additionally, it documents recent national and Quebec renovation market trends, together with three post-occupancy studies which had been conducted in the Montreal Area. / The study reveals that many of the products and installation process have been greatly simplified and innovations in the renovation market could benefit renovators by allowing them to undertake modifications themselves. Also, the author suggests certain guidelines for increasing housing affordability and new products development.

No description available.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1980. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Includes bibliographical references. / Adaptability in this Thesis refers to the inherent capacity of a dwelling, to accommodate changing spatial and economic requirements over time. The adaptable dwelling is intended to respond to change as a fundamental condition of the human life-cycle, and offers choices to its inhabitants when changes occur. The adaptable dwelling is intended to provide an alternative to either moving as a result of change or to tolerating a space/need mis-match. Adaptability inevitably requires some overprovision of space and/or services within the dwelling which, in turn, requires increased expenditures. Thus, a major obstacle to providing adaptable housing - quite aside from strictly architectural concerns - is an economic one. A major contention of this Thesis is that adaptability will be realized only when it is built within an economic framework that will support/justify the necessary overprovision of space and/or services. The proposed economic framework in this Thesis is based on the notion of income-generation. The dwelling is conceived as a collection of areas that the inhabitants can combine - and continuously recombine - in a variety of ways such that the inhabitants can rent to others those areas which they do not need for themselves at any given time. In this way, overprovided space and/or services can generate operating income for the inhabitant which can offset the additional expenditures required for adaptability. The architectural intent of this Thesis is to design prototypical adaptable dwellings based on these social and economic notions. The adaptable dwelling is designed to function usefully as a residence for one, two or three families - at the option of the controlling inhabitant. A dwelling conceived and designed in this manner has a significant potential for adaptability within a supportive economic framework. / by John A. Winslow. / M.Arch.

published_or_final_version / Politics and Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

This Thesis is aimed at evaluating the options of renovation for an existing residential building to make it more energy efficient. The various aspects in the basic structures of residential homes are discussed in order to help the user identify the areas of the house for which renovation is required to improve the energy efficiency of the building. These aspects include doors, roof and wall in addition to various systems of electrical wiring, mechanical systems of ventilation, heating and cooling and plumbing systems for the efficient flow of water throughout the house. The renovation options have been described in detail to provide as many possibilities to the user as possible. The building taken for renovation is a 1953 suburban home which has been awarded the honor of being the first building to be labeled as Zero Energy Home in its vicinity. This has made the home so efficient that its expenditure of energy has become equivalent to its energy generation, therefore, cancelling each other out and creating an estimate of zero energy.

Thesis. 1977. M.Arch.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. / MICROFICHE COPY VAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Bibliography : leaves 33-34. / M.Arch.

Thesis. 1977. M.Arch.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Bibliography : leaves 88-89. / by Philip G. Freelon. / M.Arch.