The Sustainable Housing Design research group conducts user-centric and process-oriented research that responds to and pre-empts societal challenges in contemporary housing design in a rapidly changing world.
Research focus and goals
The research group combines research and practice and merges unique areas of expertise. This includes adaptable, flexible and inclusive housing design, energy efficient and zero energy and zero carbon design, user satisfaction and performance evaluation, and the impact of these diverse aspects on spatial and architectural quality and dwellers health and well-being.
With SPREAD, ASUTUT belongs to the Architectural Design and Sustainable Housing research cluster and aims to make meaningful societal change through theoretical, historical, practice-based, social and scientific research.
The research group strives to make a difference through holistic real-world research, in order to influence and support the design of sustainable housing environments and resilient communities now, and in the future. The researchers do this by investigating and re-imagining responses to current and predicted societal and environmental challenges, such as climate change, finite resources, ageing populations, declining health and well-being, loneliness, pollution, urbanization, affordability.
Our research explores and validates the implications of these challenges on the making of space, and their relevance to housing design and their communities. In doing so, our research also unfolds the value of innovative, sustainable housing design and the role of different stakeholders within this.
The research group embodies complimentary areas of expertise through which housing design is investigated:
- Agile design; spatially adaptable and dweller-oriented housing design and housing solutions
- Ecological design; energy efficient and zero energy/zero carbon design, user well-being and building performance
- Inclusive design; including and encountering human diversity in design practices and environments
This diversity of expertise allows the research group to investigate and influence the design of sustainable housing in a holistic and integrated way by connecting their expertise. The researchers purposely question and re-define what sustainable housing design is, opening up new design solutions that enhance living environments and spatial qualities and peoples well-being.
