Healthy Energy Efficient Dwellings (HEED)
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Healthy Energy Efficient Dwellings (HEED)
Project overview
As people spend up to 90% of their time indoor; exposure to poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) may negatively affect their health.
Moreover, the COVID19 pandemic has revealed the profound social vulnerability of certain groups in society, particularly those struggling with poor health conditions. Additionally, the external air temperatures in the UK are expected to rise by over 5°C by 2070, as a result of climate change, with the frequency and intensity of heat waves also expected to increase.
Rising external temperatures increase significantly the risk of overheating, cooling load, energy consumption in buildings and associated carbon emissions, with the problem being particularly affecting health and wellbeing of vulnerable populations including children and older occupants of buildings.
This project is funded through a UKRI/MRC research grant [Grant number: MR/Y503186/1].
HEED aims
The HEED aims to fill a knowledge gap in evaluating the indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort in council homes. The project explores the correlations of both variables (IAQ and thermal comfort) to, and the implications of building design and performance on the occupants’ health and wellbeing.
The purpose is to ultimately develop technical-behavioural interventions that improves people’s health, indoor environmental conditions, and reduces energy consumption and associated carbon emissions. The project adopts a mixed method research including behavioural surveys, indoor environmental monitoring, post occupancy evaluation, and dynamic thermal modelling. We anticipate the project will have a positive impact on housing design policies, as well as increase public awareness on the necessity for behaviour change to achieve Net Zero targets, whilst improving occupants’ health and wellbeing.
Project leads
- Dr Arman Hashemi (PI, Programme Leader BSc (Hons) Architectural Design Technology)
- Dr Heba Elsharkawy (CO-I, Kingston University, Head of Department of Architecture and Landscape)
- Prof Darryl Newport (CO-I, Suffolk University, Professor of Energy and Sustainable Development)
