Examining the Interrelationships of Microclimate, Construction Performance and User Behaviour to Inform Design Strategies

Clear indications of climate change have established an increased interest in reducing CO2 emissions. The UK government has responded by introducing higher legislative standards and also a performance rating 'Code for Sustainable Homes' intended to introduce step changes towards its stated goal of carbon neutral dwellings by 2016. It is becoming clear that there is a mismatch between design intentions and standards actually achieved in most buildings. In an effort to address this mismatch, the Good Homes Alliance in the UK requires that their developer members monitor a sample of all completed building units for a minimum of two years following handover. This strategy is intended to contribute to the development of sustainability by identification of both good and problematic strategies which can inform the ongoing design process. This paper presents preliminary data collected from the first year of a two year post occupancy study of a semi detached house, built to EcoHomes Excellent standards. The research project aims to identify a minimum level for monitoring which can reliably indicate the building performance and can produce comparable data. The house is well insulated and passed the pressure test but the relative humidity levels were initially unexpectedly high. The relationship between site microclimate, construction, building management, user behaviour and design of openings is examined and critical implications discussed.