User participation in passive solar housing design

Thesis/Dissertation · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5472204

McLain-Kark, J H

A field study was conducted in 1984 in order to compare the characteristics, lifestyle, attitudes, and behavioral adaptations of two groups of passive solar homeowners, those with high or low levels of participation in the design and/or building process. Forty-one Virginia passive solar homeowners were surveyed and interviewed in their home. Photographic slides and floor plans with furniture layout were also analyzed. The results indicate that the owner-built homeowners or those with high participation in design and/or building were older, more educated, and were more involved in community affairs than the low participation homeowners. They also were more involved in maintenance tasks, more likely to engage in a voluntary simplicity lifestyle, and more energy conserving. The owner-builders too had a higher level of satisfaction with their home. The majority of the homeowners expressed dissatisfaction with the flexibility of arranging furniture in the open plan. An analysis of the floor plans revealed that three factors were contributing to the problems: zones, circulation/furniture arrangement, and passive elements.

• Research Organization: Tennessee Univ., Knoxville (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5472204
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140901* -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Space Heating & Cooling
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
299001 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Solar-- (1989-)
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320101 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Residential Buildings-- (-1987)
ATTITUDES
BUILDERS
BUILDINGS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
HEATING SYSTEMS
HOUSES
LIFE STYLES
PASSIVE SOLAR COOLING SYSTEMS
PASSIVE SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
PERSONNEL
PUBLIC OPINION
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
SOLAR COOLING SYSTEMS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
SURVEYS