BRE wellbeing research paper competition

This article provides access to entries to the 2014 research paper competition by --BRE Group and UBM called to investigate the intrinsic link between buildings and the wellbeing of those who occupy them.

The competition was held to showcase current research and understanding of the subject, as part of a research programme delivered in partnership by BRE and publishers UBM Built Environment. A panel of independent experts reviewed the entries and selected the best papers for domestic and non-domestic buildings.

Entries included:

• Daylight benefits in healthcare buildings.
• Integrated modelling, simulation and visualisation (MSV) for sustainable built healing environments (BHEs).
• A measure of net well-being that incorporates the effect of housing environmental impacts.
• Well-being and regeneration: Reflections from Carpenters Estate.
• Anatomy of low carbon retrofits: evidence from owner-occupied superhomes.
• The impact of the design of the Psychiatric inpatient facility on perceptions of Carer wellbeing.
• Creating strong communities – measuring social sustainability in new housing development.
• The design of extra care housing for older people and its impact on wellbeing: The East Sussex perspective.
• The daylight factor.
• Ubiquitous sensors to assess people’s energy consumption and wellbeing in domestic environments.
• Airtightness of energy efficient buildings.
• Adapting 1965-1980 semi-detached dwellings in the UK to reduce summer overheating and the effect of the 2010 Building Regulations.
• Transitioning to eco-cities: Reducing carbon emissions while improving urban welfare.
• A case study of adopting BIT-Kit: A method uncovering the impact buildings have on people.
• The real cost of poor housing.

Winner of the best non-domestic paper category was Dr Lesley McIntyre,research assistant at Dundee University, for her case study on the Building Interactions Toolkit (BIT-Kit): a method uncovering the impact buildings have on people.

The best domestic paper prize was presented to joint winners Tim Dixon, professor of sustainable futures in the built environment at the University of Reading, and Saffron Woodcraft, founding director of Social Life. Their submission covered their work on Creating strong communities – measuring social sustainability in new housing development.

Lesley McIntyre and Tim Dixon joined BRE group research director, Deborah Pullen, at Ecobuild on 4 March 2014 and presented their papers during the Designing for Wellbeing seminar in the Design theatre.

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