Impact of Sustainable Retrofitting on Older Adult Wellbeing

 

Project summary

There is a growing need for housing to undergo sustainable retrofits to balance climate resilience, social equity, and community wellbeing, particularly for vulnerable populations such as low-income older adults. While sustainable building retrofit projects often focus on energy efficiency and carbon reduction, a holistic approach is essential to align sustainability goals with human-centered priorities. This study explores the multidimensional impacts of sustainable retrofits on resident wellbeing. We aim to develop actionable insights and a framework for future human-centric sustainable retrofit design.

Driving questions

  • What is the current state of research on sustainable retrofitting and its impact on human wellbeing in residential buildings?

  • What are the impacts of sustainability retrofits on the wellbeing of low-income, older adult renters?

  • What indicators of resident well-being and key constructs should be considered when evaluating retrofits with a goal of supporting both environmental sustainability and human well-being?

Major findings

We recently completed 22 in-person interviews with monolingual Chinese-speaking older adults and are currently analyzing our results and preparing our publications. Stay tuned!

Project team

  • Dr. Sneha Jain, Post-doctoral scholar, CEE

  • Andrea Green, PhD student, CEE

  • Flora Xu, PhD student, E-IPER Program

  • Deland Chan, PhD student, Sociology, Oxford University

  • Prof. Sarah Billington, CEE

 
 
Affordable Housing, OngoingSarah BillingtonBillington Lab, Building for Wellbeing, Sustainable Retrofit, Andrea Green, Flora Xu, Sneha Jain, Sarah Billington, Deland Chan