01 Eviction Rates due to income losses in the pandemic.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/realestate/new-york-city-renters-evictions.html
02 Energy retrofits are not happening as they should to combat climate change. People are not doing investments needed to transition to renewable energy sources that power their homes. Even though, for instance PV’s, building insulation have a very short number of years for payback. https://news.energysage.com/understanding-your-solar-panel-payback-period/
03 Embodied carbon of buildings is wasted. Buildings are torn down that could still be used. Materials are going to landfill that could still be used. Landfill instead of reuse.
04 Buildings are designed with old construction techniques. Advances in fabrication towards more materially efficient buildings have not made it to construction sites around the world. Ho could we better incorporate the latest research in fabrication into the construction industry?
05 Not enough affordable housing. “No state [in the US] has an Adequate Supply of Affordable Rental Housing for the Lowest Income Renters”
06 Inefficient AC window units. With rising temperatures and warmer summer nights, they will become more ubiquitous rises, there will be more demand … Is there more efficient technical solutions? (also on urban level, heat island effect, natural ventilation)
07 Sun/Wind will be future energy carriers. Problem of peaks: (most sun on middays, while people use the most electricity in the evening). Problem not solved how to store energy. Multiple approaches, batteries, heat storage pits: New architectural solutions for thermal pond.
Source: Helsinki’s Hot Heart team
https://www.hel.fi/static/kanslia/energy-challenge/the-hot-heart-final-entry-public.pdf
08 Our buildings are not resilient for climate change. Assessing what buildings will be impacted by climate change ? e.g. fire extrem floods. app warning residents? how can I check if my house will survive winds etc. ?
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2104.04785.pdf
09 Buildings are built like they have been 100 years ago. Construction processes are have Limited digitization, no automation on the construction site.
10 Food deserts. Community gardens to supply fresh and healthy food for communities?
https://www.vidasostenible.org/the-solution-to-food-deserts-urban-agriculture-in-the-form-of-community-gardens/