Chiu, LF; Lowe, R; Altamirano, H; Raslan, R; (2013) Post-occupancy interview report: key findings from a selection of Retrofit for the Future projects. Institute for Sustainability: UK.

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Abstract

Between May 2011 and July 2012, the UCL Energy Institute (UCL-Energy), working in partnership with the Institute for Sustainability, undertook a post-occupancy evaluation study on a sample of the projects funded by the Technology Strategy Board’s Retrofit for the Future (R4tF) programme in London.1 The core aim of the programme was to reduce the carbon emissions of existing homes by a minimum of 80% (Technology Strategy Board 2009) while providing affordable warmth for the occupants. Eight projects (comprising ten houses) were selected for the sample from the 25 London projects funded by the R4tF programme. House types chosen included semi-detached, detached and terraced properties built between the late 19th and late 20th centuries. Households were selected for social and economic diversity. This report presents analysis and findings from responses to semi-structured post-occupancy interviews with ten selected households (referred to as Cases A, B1–3, C, D, E, F, G and H in table 1). These interviews, undertaken between November 2011 and February 2012, aimed to explore occupants’ experiences of the retrofits, how the resulting thermal comfort compared with their previous experience, and their satisfaction with both their retrofitted homes and the R4tF programme. The findings reveal the occupants’ experiences before and after the retrofit process and their views on how the programme impacted on their daily lives and living conditions in terms of space, convenience, thermal comfort and health. The analysis has led to a number of insights. These insights are likely to be useful for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the construction industry, policy makers, social housing providers and the academic community. Insights broadly cover the following areas: consideration of the characteristics and lifestyles of the occupants within the retrofit market (public or private sector); the engagement of occupants throughout the process; the strategies used to communicate and provide information directed at promoting opportunities for acceptance of and adaptation to new technologies; and, perhaps most important of all, developing a collaborative relationship with occupants in relation to feedback and maintenance of comfort and care of the new systems. In what follows, these insights are presented under a series of simple headings.

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