Towards a circular building industry through digitalisation: Exploring how digital technologies can help narrow, slow, close, and regenerate the loops in social housing practice

The concept of Circular Economy (CE) has emerged as a promising alternative to the current linear economy, decoupling economic activity from the depletion of natural resources and promoting a restorative and regenerative system. The transition of the building industry to a circular one can be achieved through four core resource principles:...

Brutally Honest, on why should we save ugly buildings: Research and Design Project of adaptive reuse and socio-architectural rehabilitation of Atlas Tower in Liège, Belgium

Unappreciated by the public, and ambiguous with its history, Brutalism has its followers, among designers and architects yet it is still a stylistic outcast. La tour de Droixhe, the high-rise at hand, thus, is seen not only as heritage but also as a lonely giant towering over the city of Liège, Belgium. This brutalist social housing development...

Planning for the regeneration of listed buildings for vulnerable social groups using Zero-Energy and Circular Principles: The case of the refugee settlements of Alexandra’s Avenue in Athens, Greece

The present thesis discusses social, cultural, economic and environmental aspects of problems related to heritage building depreciation, homelessness and lack of affordable housing, with a focus on the more vulnerable social groups. It additionally argues the mitigation of the impact of the cities and the building sector on climate crisis. The...

Adaptability and innovation. The Dutch experience in the public promotion of mass housing neighbourhoods: 1945-1985

This paper seeks to approach the context –social, economic and political– that conditioned themassive housing construction in the Netherlands after World War II. For this purpose, it has beennecessary to build a general framework about the construction of public housing in the second halfof the twentieth century, through the analysis of approved...

Integrated project delivery methods for energy renovation of social housing

European Social Housing Organisations (SHOs) are currently facing challenging times. The ageing of their housing stock and the economic crisis, which has affected both their finances and the finances of their tenants, are testing their capacity to stick to their aim of providing decent and affordable housing. Housing renovation projects offer...

Building renewal on social housing: Case study on the Rubem Berta settlement, Porto Alegre, Brasil

This study proposes a method and presents a proposal to re-qualify social housing complexes, with diversification and expansion of units. The construction of large social housing condominiums can be criticized from several points of view. These projects has limited financial resources and there is a gap among the project and user’ requirements,...

A sustainable, productive house for the lower income groups of Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia

The main topic of my thesis is social sustainable housing in Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia. The thesis covers Architecture as well as Building technology specialisations. The Architectural focus of the project is community based developed, social, sustainable housing. With Building technology, a research into materials is done to ensure the...

Quality of social housing in the Netherlands and England

Environmental policies and efforts in social housing: The Netherlands