Influence of affluence on sustainable housing in Mysore, India

Mysore, the second largest city in the state of Karnataka, India, can be identified as an early adopter of sustainable design practices. Between 1903 and 1947 the use of local construction materials, the Swadeshi movement of 1905, robust planning and clear legislation resulted in sustainable urban development. However, post-colonial development fuelled by economic globalisation after the 1980s has transformed perceptions of the house among the growing middle class, becoming a commodity to demonstrate affluence and status. This paper examines the impact of changing social and cultural values on the aspirations of the growing middle classes on sustainable housing and neighbourhood development in Mysore. The methodology comprises literature and archive research to establish the historical content and review some important recent trends. Extensive fieldwork studies, including questionnaires over a wide range of participants (owners, builders and designers) and semistructured interviews with key players, including academics, architects and government agencies. The focus of development has shifted from community to individual, from energy conserving to a more consumerist attitude in the procurement of materials and finishes. The paper examines the impact of these changes. The results of the survey are summarised and reviewed under the categories of communities, site, entrance, house layout and materials

A Review of the Iraqi Housing Sector Problems

Housing is one of the important necessities for people. It comes after food and drink according to Maslow’s pyramid of human needs. It also influences countries’ social cohesion, stability and development and at the same time is affected by their general conditions. Iraq has a housing sector crisis. The county experiences a large housing shortage. The Iraqi National Housing Policy identifies critical challenges in seven housing-related fields: housing production, land management, housing finance, infrastructure, construction materials, housing stock status and slums. This paper aims to present a better understanding of these housing challenges as a first step to the development of appropriate solutions. It presents a critical investigation of the housing sector’s issues through exploring a wide range of literature to build a framework that critically evaluates and identifies the problems. The paper also quantifies the current housing shortage at around 1 million dwellings. Based on the extrapolation of trends towards 2030, it is estimated that Iraq has to build around 230000 dwellings annually to satisfy future demand. Results confirm the importance of the issues identified in the National Housing Policy, which gives it more validity. The paper concludes by proposing a series of measures to address Iraq’s housing challenges

Impact of cultural behaviour on indoor comfort: examining the air quality in homes and exploring observational and experimental methods of representation through filmmaking

There is a limited understanding of householders’ cultural differences and their impact on spatial organisation and energy behaviour in dwellings. Indoor air quality directly impacts the health and well-being of occupants. The airborne COVID-19 epidemic has highlighted shortcomings of controlled ventilation systems in recent reports (PHE, Dec 2020). While efficiency interventions can make homes more affordable to heat, they can exacerbate conditions such as asthma, due to reduced indoor air quality and ventilation. Preliminary research conducted in Plymouth by the applicant indicates that British Asians use their homes differently compared to native British in terms of spatial organisation, cooking habits (on average, they spend five times more time cooking the daily meal) and ventilation strategies, all of which have an impact on indoor air quality. This project sets out to establish the impact of culturally informed choices on indoor air quality and the extent to which the norms that guide the design of energy-efficient homes ignore potentially significant cultural and behavioural differences. It will achieve this by focusing on the impact of energy behaviour and choices related to cooking on the indoor air quality of British-Asian households. The project aims to quantify temperature, humidity and air quality by data collected by a pilot study in Plymouth, UK. We will engage the community in a participatory methodology using correlational research and survey questionnaires and IAQ Data Loggers to evidence anomalies from the design norms currently used in the UK. In addition to traditional data analysis, our methodology includes artistic research, utilising observational and sensory ethnographic filmmaking techniques, to support, document, and evidence the impact of cooking in the home. We aim to explore how the intersection between these two methods can reveal and communicate new perspectives. The main outcome is to evaluate the impact of cultural behaviour on the air quality of super-insulated British-Asian homes through an interdisciplinary methodology. This project lays foundations for larger-scale research working with diverse ethnic minority communities to promote engagement in a low-carbon society

Assessing housing approaches for Iraq: Learning from the world experience

Iraq is facing a housing shortage of around 1.0 million housing units, which is equivalent to around 25% of its current housing stock. At the same time, it suffers from having a low housing production. As a first Step towards managing this challenge, the country needs to identify a proper approach to drive developments. For this purpose, a new Iraqi National Housing Policy was issued in 2010. It proposed adopting private sector-led pro- duction to handle the housing problems. However, within a context dominated by instability, a negative in- vestment environment, and weak private sector, the Policy's approach has not been applicable. The private sector has not been able to take this role. Accordingly, a comprehensive investigation is required to assess the possible housing approaches and to define a prospective way forward for the country, which has not been found in previous literature. This paper aims to address this challenge by exploring and investigating what has been done by other countries to successfully manage problems similar to those currently faced by Iraq. The research methodology underpinning this paper includes a mathematical extrapolation of data stemming from UN-Habitat housing statistics as well as a wide-ranging literature review. The results demonstrate that supporting the formal private sector-led housing production is a promising principal approach. It has enabled countries to have sus- tainable housing development. However, due to Iraq's current situation and the inability of its formal sector to satisfy large needs, an interim approach is needed. This should support the public sector intervention and, mainly, adopt informal housing related strategies, such as self-help housing. This is to be done alongside the efforts to support the formal private sector to take its principal role. This research's approach of using a mathematical extrapolation to guide investigating and examining previous literature is highlighted by the research as an innovative approach that has not been adopted by previous studies. It can be used to have a comprehensive investigation of various housing aspects in all countries

The courtyard pattern's thermal efficiency: Limits and significance of impact

The courtyard pattern has been advocated as a thermally efficient design for hot regions. Many studies have been yielded the suggestion of re-introducing this building pattern for its thermal efficiency. However, it has not been widely investigated to which extent courtyards actually provide thermal comfort for people. By examining the thermal behaviour of 360 courtyards, this paper investigates the impact of courtyards' geometry and orientation on its thermal conditions and occupants' thermal sensation. Baghdad was used as a case study due to its hot climate and traditional use of courtyards. A comfortable temperature for hot climate defined by a previous study was used to judge the tested courtyards. Calibrated Envi-met simulation models have been used to determine courtyards' thermal conditions. The results show that the most effective design parameter on courtyards' thermal efficiency is the courtyard's Width/Height and the most effective climatic factor is the Mean Radiant Temperature. The thermal efficiency increases by having deep and small courtyards. If properly designed, courtyards can provide 4-7 °C less Globe Temperature than the outdoor temperature, while improperly designed ones can be 20°C higher than the outdoor temperature. In all cases, courtyard spaces cannot provide thermal comfort if the outdoor Globe Temperature exceeded 38°C

Chronic renal insufficiency among Asian Indians with type 2 diabetes: I. Role of RAAS gene polymorphisms

BACKGROUND: Renal failure in diabetes is mediated by multiple pathways. Experimental and clinical evidences suggest that renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) has a crucial role in diabetic kidney disease. A relationship between the RAAS genotypes and chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) among type 2 diabetes subjects has therefore been speculated. We investigated the contribution of selected RAAS gene polymorphisms to CRI among type 2 diabetic Asian Indian subjects. METHODS: Twelve single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from six genes namely-renin (REN), angiotensinogen (ATG), angiotensin converting enzyme I (ACE), angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1) and aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) gene from the RAAS pathway and one from chymase pathway were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method and tested for their association with diabetic CRI using a case-control approach. Successive cases presenting to study centres with type 2 diabetes of ≥2 years duration and moderate CRI diagnosed by serum creatinine ≥3 mg/dl after exclusion of non-diabetic causes of CRI (n = 196) were compared with diabetes subjects with no evidence of renal disease (n = 225). Logistic regression analysis was carried out to correlate various clinical parameters with genotypes, and to study pair wise interactions between SNPs of different genes. RESULTS: Of the 12 SNPs genotyped, Glu53Stop in AGT and A>T (-777) in AT1 genes, were monomorphic and not included for further analysis. We observed a highly significant association of Met235Thr SNP in angiotensinogen gene with CRI (O.R. 2.68, 95%CI: 2.01–3.57 for Thr allele, O.R. 2.94, 95%CI: 1.88–4.59 for Thr/Thr genotype and O.R. 2.68, 95%CI: 1.97–3.64 for ACC haplotype). A significant allelic and genotypic association of T>C (-344) SNP in aldosterone synthase gene (O.R. 1.57, 95%CI: 1.16–2.14 and O.R. 1.81, 95%CI: 1.21–2.71 respectively), and genotypic association of GA genotype of G>A (-1903) in chymase gene (O.R. 2.06, 95%CI: 1.34–3.17) were also observed. CONCLUSION: SNPs Met235Thr in angiotensinogen, T>C (-344) in aldosterone synthase, and G>A (-1903) in chymase genes are significantly associated with diabetic chronic renal insufficiency in Indian patients and warrant replication in larger sample sets. Use of such markers for prediction of susceptibility to diabetes specific renal disease in the ethnically Indian population appears promising

Culture and low-carbon energy transitions

How does culture influence low-carbon energy transitions? How can insights about cultural influences guide energy planners and policymakers trying to stimulate transitions, particularly at a time of rapid technological change? This Review examines the influence of culture on a selection of low-carbon technologies and behavioural practices that reflect different dimensions of sustainability. Based on a typology of low-carbon technology and behaviour, we explore the cultural dimensions of four specific cases: eco-driving, ridesharing, automated vehicles and whole-house retrofits. We conclude with recommendations for those seeking to analyse, understand, develop, demonstrate and deploy low-carbon innovations for sustainable energy transitions