Architectural research in living labs: Exploring occupier driven changes in homes

Abstract

The chapter reports from a project developing architectural research in connection to a Living Lab. The aim is to create innovative design solutions in order to decrease the environmental loads from material flows over time focusing on occupier driven renovations and alterations to layout, materials and installations of apartments in multi-residential buildings. In a first step, empirical insights from over 300 owner-occupied apartments answers the questions: what changes are made by occupiers, what motivates these changes, and can these changes be linked to different architectural designs? In the continued research the material flows and the environmental impact attributed to these occupier driven renovations and alterations will be estimated giving further indications for more sustainable design of homes.