A Novel Case Study Methodology for Affordable Housing In-Depth Post-occupancy Evaluation in Wales, UK

Student Paper. Solving the problem of operating within the projected carbon budget of the UK construction industry whilst providing climate-resilient, comfortable, and easy to maintain affordable housing for UK citizens requires a multidisciplinary and evidence-based approach. This paper sets out to describe such a methodology for appraising existing affordable housing and making recommendations for future design-stage decisions, based on the presentation of a recent case study project located in Wales, UK. The paper sets out an intensive Post-occupancy Evaluation programme including whole-house heat loss calculations, energy consumption analysis, embodied carbon calculations, measurement of internal environmental conditions, and occupant feedback. A selection of results is illustrated. Findings include an appraisal of indoor pollutant rates, summer overheating results, and a demonstration of the nature and extent of the as-built Performance Gap.