From green to sustainable urban development : analysis of sustainability performance in Swedish housing
(2013) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM01 20131LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
- Abstract
- The idea of energy efficient, healthy buildings has existed since 1970s. However, a one-dimensional approach for many housing issues does not assure sustainability. Therefore, near the end of the 20th century, the built environment became a focus of attention within the environmental movement with wider focus on building certification schemes and sustainability issues such as interrelationships between social, environmental and economic dimensions. This thesis argues that the unsustainability of current housing practices is ingrained from different occupants’ perceptions and levels of residential satisfaction. Therefore, understanding and bridging the gaps of housing practices based on occupants’ perceptions and satisfaction levels allows... (More)
- The idea of energy efficient, healthy buildings has existed since 1970s. However, a one-dimensional approach for many housing issues does not assure sustainability. Therefore, near the end of the 20th century, the built environment became a focus of attention within the environmental movement with wider focus on building certification schemes and sustainability issues such as interrelationships between social, environmental and economic dimensions. This thesis argues that the unsustainability of current housing practices is ingrained from different occupants’ perceptions and levels of residential satisfaction. Therefore, understanding and bridging the gaps of housing practices based on occupants’ perceptions and satisfaction levels allows achieving transition from green buildings to sustainable urban environment which include three-strands of sustainability. The data presented in this work are mainly derived from survey results based on the two cases: 1) certified (LEED and Miljöbyggnad) buildings, and 2) uncertified buildings in the Southern Sweden.
Case studies of housing projects are compared to investigate the gaps and areas of improvements based on a framework of sustainability and theoretical underpinnings from residential satisfaction theory. The results showed that due to different social, environmental and economic conditions in each site the elements from sustainability framework varied slightly. However, the two cases proved that perceptions about housing and levels of satisfaction are context dependent. This means that solutions for improvements of housing conditions may not be transferable to other localities and should be developed from the start based on three-dimensional sustainability approach. Furthermore, despite the framework’s dependency on the setting, with some criteria adjustments it can be used as guidelines for sustainable housing projects in other contexts. In addition, the outcome and final recommendations of this thesis may serve as a basis for constructors’, architects’ and designers’ teams, also as for clients and environmentalists striving for more sustainable urban environment. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/4001642
- author
- Varnaite, Ruta LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MESM01 20131
- year
- 2013
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- certification schemes, sustainability, green buildings, residential satisfaction, Sweden, sustainability science
- publication/series
- Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
- report number
- 2013:023
- language
- English
- id
- 4001642
- date added to LUP
- 2013-08-27 11:37:03
- date last changed
- 2013-08-27 11:37:03
@misc{4001642,
abstract = {{The idea of energy efficient, healthy buildings has existed since 1970s. However, a one-dimensional approach for many housing issues does not assure sustainability. Therefore, near the end of the 20th century, the built environment became a focus of attention within the environmental movement with wider focus on building certification schemes and sustainability issues such as interrelationships between social, environmental and economic dimensions. This thesis argues that the unsustainability of current housing practices is ingrained from different occupants’ perceptions and levels of residential satisfaction. Therefore, understanding and bridging the gaps of housing practices based on occupants’ perceptions and satisfaction levels allows achieving transition from green buildings to sustainable urban environment which include three-strands of sustainability. The data presented in this work are mainly derived from survey results based on the two cases: 1) certified (LEED and Miljöbyggnad) buildings, and 2) uncertified buildings in the Southern Sweden.
Case studies of housing projects are compared to investigate the gaps and areas of improvements based on a framework of sustainability and theoretical underpinnings from residential satisfaction theory. The results showed that due to different social, environmental and economic conditions in each site the elements from sustainability framework varied slightly. However, the two cases proved that perceptions about housing and levels of satisfaction are context dependent. This means that solutions for improvements of housing conditions may not be transferable to other localities and should be developed from the start based on three-dimensional sustainability approach. Furthermore, despite the framework’s dependency on the setting, with some criteria adjustments it can be used as guidelines for sustainable housing projects in other contexts. In addition, the outcome and final recommendations of this thesis may serve as a basis for constructors’, architects’ and designers’ teams, also as for clients and environmentalists striving for more sustainable urban environment.}},
author = {{Varnaite, Ruta}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
series = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}},
title = {{From green to sustainable urban development : analysis of sustainability performance in Swedish housing}},
year = {{2013}},
}