Urban Energy Lecture: Feasibility and Market Potential of H4.0E Small, (Near) Zero-Energy Dwellings

Lecture by Cynthia Souaid, PhD Candidate TU Delft Faculty of Architecture & the Built Environment
Hosted by the Urban Energy Institute
Date: 21 September
Time: 4-5pm CET
Location: HYBRID -- Berlage Room, TU Delft Faculty of Architecture & the Built Environment & Online

Moderator: Henk Visscher

Demographic, societal and economic developments considerably affected the nature of housing. One of the implications is the growing demand for small households composed of one to two persons. In response to this, and driven by the urgency of action when it comes to climate change mitigations, there is a growing need for smaller, more affordable and (near) zero-energy housing. Within this context, this lecture addresses the market potential and upscaling potential of small, low-carbon, (near) zero-energy housing. What are the institutional barriers challenging their implementation and uptake? To what extent do they fulfil the current housing preferences of small, low to middle-income households? Were the operational and embodied energy performance goals achieved? Overall, the lecture draws upon the findings of a larger research project funded by Interreg North-West Europe entitled Housing 4.0 Energy: Sustainable & Affordable housing through digitization (H4.0E).

About the Speaker

Cynthia obtained a Master of Science in Environmental Design and Engineering from the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London in 2017. In her master thesis, she specialized in post-occupancy evaluation where she learned first-hand the advantages of mutli/interdisciplinary research applications. Afterwards, eager to pursue this research approach and in 2018, she started my PhD at the Delft University of Technology under the supervision of Professor Marja Elsinga, Professor Henk Visscher, Associate Professor Harry van der Heijden and Assistant Professor Arjen Meijer. As part of the project entitled Housing 4.0 Energy: Affordable & Sustainable Housing through Digitization funded by North-West Europe, her research focuses on exploring the culture around (near) zero-energy housing from an institutional, social and technical perspective.

Download the presentation here.