Intech Open, London, 2019
In a perfect human settlement - providing food, shelter, communications,
employment, an efficient environment for the occupants’ better performance - all
human needs are satisfied without significantly polluting or destroying the natural
environment. The depletion and degradation of natural resources and their effects,
diseases, and disasters must be taken into consideration. This is a global problem
so there must be cooperation. The contents of this book are based on the different
architectural strategies that aim to achieve a low-energy, healthy, and sustainable
built environment using the extensive experience of the authors, researchers, and
scientists in architecture, planning, and construction.
In addition to covering primer passive design principles in different climatic
conditions through examples, the book devotes sections to different sustainability
point of views: environmental, social, and economic. Determining the needed
strategy according to function, economy, and occupant comfort and affordability is
the crucial step. Creating a framework for designing and building sustainable and
durable structures is important in order to reduce carbon emissions and operation
costs. This book helps the reader achieve a sustainable development without
destruction of the resources while also growing a universal awareness of protecting
the living and non-living environment.
The book contains an introductory chapter and four chapters authored by several
academicians and researchers in the housing field. Within every chapter, the reader
will be given an overview of determined parameters on the subject and, in many
cases, a description of the authors’ original proposed solution. The content of the
book is organized as follows:
Chapter 1: Introductory Chapter: Healthy and Affordable Housing
Strategies
This chapter focuses on healthy housing due to the sustainable design strategies
not having any harmful results on human and environmental health. This chapter
shows that according to sustainability criteria, not only the environmental
responsiveness but also social and economic responsiveness should be taken into
consideration.
Chapter 2: Effects of Street Geometry on Airflow Regimes for Natural
Ventilation in Three Different Street Configurations in Enugu City
In this chapter, efficient natural ventilation, according to the micro climate
conditions of an urban environment, is analyzed. Two different regions
(recirculation region and ventilated region) in an urban street have different
characteristics because of the flow and the street geometry. This chapter looks at
these regions of airflow cultivation in a high-density residential settlement in a
tropical African city as a case study.
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Chapter 3: Fundamentals of Natural Ventilation Design within
Dwellings
This chapter presents the parameters that are intricate to occupant satisfaction;
such as acoustical, lighting, indoor air quality, and thermal comfort. These occupant
phase issues are generally ignored by the designers and constructers. It is stated
in this chapter that natural ventilation is an excellent alternative to achieve an
adequate indoor environment in a sustainable manner.
Chapter 4: Comprehensive Strategy for Sustainable Housing Design
Sustainable housing strategies, maximizing occupants’ well-being, and minimizing
the environmental load are the main concern of this chapter. In order to create a
framework for this phenomenon, the author(s) generated a sustainability checklist
and design guidelines. The chapter also presents a comprehensive visualization in
order to adjust sustainable housing design to suit different and changing situations.
Chapter 5: Social Innovation and Environmental Sustainability in Social
Housing Policies: Learning from Two Experimental Case Studies in Italy
The chapter discusses approaches and solutions developed by social housing in
contemporary cities, using two Italian case studies. By analyzing housing strategies
in a broader perspective in terms of its procedural dimension, the author(s)
focus on two Italian social housing case studies. The important measures such as
temporariness, flexibility, and the coordination are examined. The social, planning,
architectural, and environmental quality of these two cases are represented.
Chapter 6: Socioeconomic Influences on Affordable Housing Residents:
Problem Definition and Possible Solutions
The last chapter focuses on socioeconomic status (SES) as a powerful social
determinant of health. After defining affordable housing, the author(s) discuss the
future developments to improve the long-term health outcomes of these individuals
and families due to survey data and geographical analysis. At the end they propose
solutions to identify potential changes to affordable housing to promote
Summing up the issues presented in the book, it is directed at academic researchers,
practitioners, and students in the housing and construction field. This book is
the result of many collaborating parties. I gratefully acknowledge the assistance
provided by Gordon Tot and Ivan Butkovic, Author Service Managers, and thank
all the authors who contributed to this volume.
September 2019
Dr. Aysem Berrin Cakmakli
Middle East Technical University,
Ankara, Turkey