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People & Buildings

Masters Conference 2025

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MC2025

Masters Conference 2024

The Latest Event

MC2024

MC2025 Abstracts & Papers

Session 1: Various Themes on People and Buildings
Session 2: Urban microclimate; Building embodied energy; Building energy demand
Session 3: Assessing occupants wellbeing and comfort

Session 1: Various Themes on People and Buildings

Designing Retrofit Solutions for 1 Euro Houses in Italy: Enhancing Viability Through Energy Efficiency, Comfort, Sustainability, and Affordability

Flaminia Liguori and Simon Beames

In rural regions of Italy, underutilised and abandoned dwellings are increasingly being offered for the symbolic price of one euro. This initiative seeks to address the challenges of rural depopulation, stimulate local economies, and safeguard vernacular architectural heritage. However, these properties are aften characterised by outdated spatial configurations and significant structural degradation, rendering retrofitting efforts particularly complex. As such, the careful and context-sensitive redesign of one-euro houses is imperative to transform them into viable contemporary living environments that comply with current standards of energy performance, comfort, safety, sustainability, efficiency, and affordability.
This research investigates creative and innovative retrofitting strategies aimed at delivering cost-effective, scalable, and environmentally responsible architectural interventions. As a result, my research aims to serve as a practical tool to better understand the renovation works required in a one-euro house and support local authorities in promoting these properties over traditional housing options. Additionally, this dissertation explores innovative approaches of retrofitting historical chimney structures, turning them into functional elements and modern architectural features. This not only enhances the energy efficiency of the house and technological appeal to potential buyers, but also maintains a strong connection to the region’s architectural heritage.

Keywords: Retrofitting, 1€ houses, sustainability, affordability, comfort.

– Theme: Designing Retrofit Solutions for 1 Euro Houses in Italy –

>> Read Full Paper Here <<

How effectively do UK local authorities communicate mould prevention and remediation guidance to linguistically diverse residents, and how can it be improved

Maria Fernanda Intriago Cusme

Mould exposure in homes presents significant public health risks, especially for vulnerable and linguistically diverse tenants. Despite the 2023 UK government guidance requiring clear communication from housing providers, local authority compliance is uneven. This study evaluates the efficacy of communication on mould prevention and remediation guidance by 10 intentionally selected UK councils, assessing compliance with the NHS (National Health Services), The Government, and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) criteria. A mixed-methods content analysis was carried out using a nine-point checklist that covered definitions, health hazards, prevention, and accessibility on council websites. The criteria included content completeness, usability (click-depth), readability (Flesch-Kincaid), and multilingual availability. Results indicate significant discrepancies, only, 30% of councils met ≥7 of 9 criteria, 50% exceeded the 3-click threshold, and only 20% offered pre-translated documents. Urban authorities, such as Newham and Hackney, out-performed rural and coastal equivalents, while Glasgow and Liverpool performed poorly. The median readability grade (9.9) exceeded public health guidelines (≤8), resulting in disadvantaging low-literacy groups. Findings underscore critical equity gaps, particularly affecting non-English speakers and tenants with restricted reading skills. Recommendations include centralised multilingual resources, obligatory plain-language standards, and tenant collaboration in the production of items. This study presents the initial comprehensive assessment of UK mould communication following the 2023 guidelines, delivering pragmatic insights for policymakers to address health gaps in housing.  

Keywords: mould prevention, health communication, linguistic accessibility, public health equity, local government. 

– Theme: Inclusive Public Health Communication on Mould: Assessing Local Authority Guidance for Linguistically Diverse Communities in the UK –

>> Read Full Paper Here <<

The perceived barriers and drivers to sustainable design as a sustainable construction method between UK rural and urban locations

Madelaine Bradley

This study aims to understand the perceptions of architectural designers in rural and urban locations on passive design, a method which historically has increased occupant comfort however is not widely adopted in modern design. Passive design could now be used to reduce operational emissions in a changing climate to meet government sustainability commitments. Architectural designers coordinate information between various consultants, taking direction from clients through brief, to use. Literature has been identified with relation to the topic with a list of barriers and solutions, and surrounding context. Following this, a questionnaire was prepared for collecting perception information from industry professionals. Quantitative patterns were reviewed on a Likert scale. Responses were then analysed and conclusions drawn from the results. Cost and legislation were noted as key barriers, and legislation and increasing incentives noted as the best solutions. The barriers were typically in alignment with literature, which advised cost being the top barrier to sustainability, followed by legislation. The study could be expanded upon to reach a wider population, or to study alternative pattern such as adoption of specific passive design measures and perceptions including usability or effectiveness. It could also be expanded to study a different sector type, country, or stakeholder.

Keywords: Passive design, architects, perceptions, urban, rural.

– Theme: Passive and hybrid strategies for heating and cooling buildings –

>> Read Full Paper Here <<

Understanding the Impact of Insulation on Moisture Content of Timber

Fatma Arslan

As retrofit strategies are accelerated to meet climate goals in the UK, floor insulation—particularly airtight materials such as spray foam—is gaining broader acceptance in the ageing housing stock. While effective for energy efficiency, the impact of spray foam on moisture-sensitive components like timber flooring remains underexplored in scientific literature. This study examines the early-stage effects of closed-cell spray foam insulation on the drying behaviour of saturated pine timbers under environmental conditions typical of UK homes.
Samples were soaked and dried under two scenarios in a controlled chamber (20°C/50% RH and 15°C/80% RH). Insulation was applied at staggered moisture content levels to simulate the partial enclosure process commonly seen in retrofit applications. Moisture changes were tracked using gravimetric weighing and surface-based measurements at multiple time points.
Insulation significantly delayed drying, especially when applied to timber with high moisture content. The key mechanisms involved include inhibiting vapour diffusion and decreasing surface exposure. After seven days, some insulated specimens retained 25–35% more moisture than uninsulated controls. These conditions increase the risk of biological degradation, including mould growth and wet rotting, which can undermine the durability of retrofitted buildings.
This research establishes critical benchmarks for safe insulation timing and supports healthier, longer-lasting interventions in moisture-prone building elements.

Keywords: timber flooring, spray foam insulation, moisture retention, drying behaviour, retrofit risk. 

– Theme: Moisture Risk in Retrofit Insulation –

>> Read Full Paper Here <<
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MC2025 Abstracts & Papers