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Health and Habitability in the Solar Decathlon University Competitions: Statistical Quantification and Real Influence on Comfort Conditions

Author

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  • Rafael Herrera-Limones

    (University Institute of Architecture and Construction Sciences, Superior Technical School of Architecture, University of Seville, Av. Reina Mercedes 2, 41012 Seville, Spain)

  • Antonio Millán-Jiménez

    (Faculty of Medicine, University of Seville, Avda. Sánchez Pizjuán, s/n, 41009 Seville, Spain)

  • Álvaro López-Escamilla

    (University Institute of Architecture and Construction Sciences, Superior Technical School of Architecture, University of Seville, Av. Reina Mercedes 2, 41012 Seville, Spain)

  • Miguel Torres-García

    (Energy Engineering Department. Superior Technical School of Engineering, University of Seville, Camino de los Descubrimientos, s/n, 41092 Seville, Spain)

Abstract

Medicine and architecture are disciplines with the main objectives of satisfying the fundamental needs of human beings: health, comfort, well-being, safety, and ensuring an acceptable quality of life in a sustainable habitat. In both areas of knowledge, the advances and the most innovative proposals in the fields of research and teaching are focused on transversal knowledge and the use of learning methods through problem solving (learning by doing). The student competitions called “Solar Decathlon” are focused on the development of these concepts, in which prototypes of sustainable and, as far as possible, healthy social housing are tested. In these university competitions, the design of energy-efficient and comfortable living environments that contribute to the health of the occupants are encouraged; however, the methodology for evaluating the “comfort conditions” stipulated in the competition rules considers only parameters that can be monitored by sensors. For this article, the prototypes presented by the “Solar Decathlon Team of the University of Seville” to the editions of said competition held in Latin America and Europe (in 2015 and 2019, respectively) are being studied. The present research starts from the fact that the unique consideration of measurable indices (such as temperature, humidity, etc.), is clearly insufficient when it comes to evaluating the real conditions of habitability and comfort that a domestic architectural space presents. For this reason, a theoretical–practical analysis is carried out by means of surveys, with the final objective of determining a methodology for evaluating comfort—complementary to that of the competition—which assesses other relevant issues and which, in short, takes into account the repercussion on people’s health. From our analysis, we conclude that at least these two methodologies should be used to evaluate comfort because they are individually considered incomplete in terms of the data provided by each one of them. The survey-based methodology provides complementary information on comfort and health that could be taken into account in future editions of Solar Decathlon.

Suggested Citation

  • Rafael Herrera-Limones & Antonio Millán-Jiménez & Álvaro López-Escamilla & Miguel Torres-García, 2020. "Health and Habitability in the Solar Decathlon University Competitions: Statistical Quantification and Real Influence on Comfort Conditions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-25, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:16:p:5926-:d:399346
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Leo Ruijssher, 2012. "Philosophy About the Quality of Our Indoor Climate," Springer Optimization and Its Applications, in: Stamatina Th. Rassia & Panos M. Pardalos (ed.), Sustainable Environmental Design in Architecture, chapter 0, pages 213-232, Springer.
    2. Colton, M.D. & Laurent, J.G.C. & MacNaughton, P. & Kane, J. & Bennett-Fripp, M. & Spengler, J. & Adamkiewicz, G., 2015. "Health benefits of green public housing: Associations with asthma morbidity and building-related symptoms," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 105(12), pages 2482-2489.
    3. Rafael Herrera-Limones & Ángel Luis León-Rodríguez & Álvaro López-Escamilla, 2019. "Solar Decathlon Latin America and Caribbean: Comfort and the Balance between Passive and Active Design," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-17, June.
    4. Marco Caniato & Andrea Gasparella, 2019. "Discriminating People’s Attitude towards Building Physical Features in Sustainable and Conventional Buildings," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-27, April.
    5. Loveth Moses & Karyn Morrissey & Richard A. Sharpe & Tim Taylor, 2019. "Exposure to Indoor Mouldy Odour Increases the Risk of Asthma in Older Adults Living in Social Housing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-14, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Clavijo-Núñez, Susana & Herrera-Limones, Rafael & Rey-Pérez, Julia & Torres-García, Miguel, 2022. "Energy poverty in Andalusia. An analysis through decentralised indicators," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    2. Antonio Millán-Jiménez & Rafael Herrera-Limones & Álvaro López-Escamilla & Emma López-Rubio & Miguel Torres-García, 2021. "Confinement, Comfort and Health: Analysis of the Real Influence of Lockdown on University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-15, May.

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