The Design Process for Energy Efficient New and Refurbished Housing for EC Thermie SUNH and SHINE Projects

A team of specialist advisors, the authors of this paper, provided design advice to the architects and engineers of the EC Thermie target projects SUNH (Solar Urban Hew Housing) and SHINE (refurbished housing) during the design phase, which is still ongoing. M. Wilson is the co-ordinator of this task of advisors dealing with the ‘Specific Innovative Technologies’ (SIT) of: Daylighting (M. Wilson), passive design, energy management and heating (J.H. Walker) and passive cooling and active systems (M. Santamouris). Overall technical and financial co-ordination is provided by S.Jauré. The projects covered a wide climatic range, comprising 16 projects in 8 countries, from Finland, to southern Spain. General guidance was provided at an initial meeting and then specific advice was given as the projects developed, at regular meetings at approximately three monthly intervals. It is clearly not possible to review the advice given in all the projects but this paper will review some common issues for the range of projects. In particular this paper will: 1. Discuss some key issues relating to the design and procurement process, including issues relating to national differences of construction technique and building form. 2. Contrast those projects where intervention was at an early stage, with those where intervention was later in the design process. 3. Provide a small selection of case studies where intervention gave rise to improved design solutions.