This paper evaluates the current conditions of Ugandan low-income tropical housing with a focus on construction methods and materials in order to identify the key areas for improvement. Literature review, site visits and photographic surveys are carried out to collect relevant information on prevailing construction methods/materials and on their environmental impacts in rural areas. Low quality, high waste, and energy intensive production methods, as well as excessive soil extraction and deforestation, are identified as the main environmental damage of the current construction methods and materials. The embodied energy is highlighted as the key area which should be addressed to reduce the CO₂ emissions of low-income tropical housing. The results indicate that the embodied energy of fired bricks in Uganda is up to 5.7 times more than general clay bricks. Concrete walling is identified as a much more environmentally friendly construction method compared to brick walling in East African countries. Improving fuel efficiency and moulding systems, increasing access to renewable energy sources, raising public awareness, educating local manufacturers and artisans, and gradual long-term introduction of innovative construction methods and materials which are adapted to local needs and conditions are some of the recommended actions to improve the current conditions.

In Thailand, the delivery of adequate low-income housing has historically been overshadowed by politics with cost and quantity being prioritised over quality, comfort and resilience. In a country that experiences hot and humid temperatures throughout the year, buildings need to be adaptable to the climate to improve the thermal comfort of inhabitants. This research is focused on identifying areas for improving the thermal performance of these housing designs. Firstly, dynamic thermal simulations were run on a baseline model using the adaptive thermal comfort model CIBSE TM52 for assessment. The three criteria defined in CIBSE TM52 were used to assess the frequency and severity of overheating in the buildings. The internal temperature of the apartments was shown to exceed the thermal comfort threshold for these criteria throughout the year. The internal operating daily temperatures of the apartment remain high, ranging from a maximum of 38.5 °C to a minimum of 27.3 °C. Based on these findings, five criteria were selected to be analysed for sensitivity to obtain the key parameters that influence the thermal performance and to suggest possible areas for improvement. The computer software package Integrated Environmental Solutions—Virtual Environment (IES-VE) was used to perform building energy simulations. Once the baseline conditions were identified, the software packages SimLab2.2 and RStudio were used to carry out the sensitivity analysis. These results indicated that roof material and the presence of a balcony have the greatest influence on the system. Incorporating insulation into the roof reduced the mean number of days of overheating by 21.43%. Removing the balcony increased the number of days of overheating by 19.94% due to significant reductions in internal ventilation.

Poor housing quality contributes to poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and overheating with older adults, children, pregnant women, and those living in poverty most at risk. While retrofit strategies could help to reduce carbon emissions by improving building energy efficiency, they could simultaneously lead to ‘unintended’ outcomes including overheating, damp, mould, and exposure to harmful indoor air pollutants by making buildings more airtight and trapping heat and air pollutants inside. Occupants’ lifestyles, attitudes, and awareness have also been identified as some of the key challenges when it comes to improving energy performance, winter/summer thermal comfort, and IAQ in buildings. This paper provides insight into the effects of energy efficient retrofit strategies and occupant behaviour on energy performance, IAQ, thermal comfort, and health, with a focus on older people living in social housing. A mixed method is employed involving: (1) physical measurements, to record actual energy consumption and indoor environmental conditions (i.e., temp., RH%, CO₂); (2) questionnaire surveys, to assess occupants’ behaviours and health; (3) dynamic thermal modelling, to evaluate the effects of retrofit strategies; and (4) thermal imaging, to assess the building fabric performance and identify possible defects. The results revealed that although retrofit strategies reduced energy consumption by up to 60%, some resulted in significant risk of overheating. Occupants’ behaviours combined with debatable building management practices also contributed to risks of overheating and poor IAQ that could negatively affect health and wellbeing of building occupants in the long-term.