COVER STORY Figure 5. Residential design socio-technical priorities FIGURE 5: RESIDENTIAL DESIGN SOCIO-TECHNICAL PRIORITIES. Figure 6. Contextual factors in residential thermal comfort FIGURE 6: CONTEXTUAL FACTORS IN RESIDENTIAL THERMAL COMFORT. Table 1. Household needs, enablers, and circumstances 3) supplement or enhance these with the use of low-energy technologies or mechanical heating and cooling. In parallel, household awareness, education and monitoring/feedback mechanisms need to be implemented to involve dwellers and learn how to design comfortable, low-energy buildings to the right measure. These priorities will permit a more integrated approach to housing design that acknowledge rather than constrain human thermal adaptation at home. THE RESIDENTIAL CONTEXT Contextual differences exist between residential and non-residential applications that affect our thermal perception and acceptability. On the one hand, occupants at home are more in- control, than elsewhere, of all aspects affecting the indoor environment, and therefore are free to act upon their preferences. On the other hand, the needs and expectations at home are fundamentally different from those in other buildings. For example, productivity is not a main concern at home. Figure 6 breaks down the contextual factors affecting thermal comfort in residential applications into: 1) personal, 2) local, 3) building, and 4) environmental systems factors. The premise is that these contextual factors have a stronger influence at home on how we adapt thermally to the environment (receivers): wearing more comfortable clothing, relaxing and changing posture, drinking a hot/cold beverage, etc.; and how we adapt the environment to our thermal needs and preferences (enablers): thermostat setting, window opening, etc. At the core of the contextual factors are our personal differences in needs and expectations on our homes. Human needs are broad, and span from fundamental physiological and safety needs, to psychological and self-fulfilment needs.12 Household needs and expectations can be classified in the six groups in Table 1 (adapted from 9 ). These needs and expectations become motives that drive our actions at home. In the context of thermal comfort and indoor environmental quality, these actions are enabled by design principles and technologies that are implemented under particular circumstances. RESIDENTIAL DESIGN FOR THERMALLY COMFORTABLE LOW-ENERGY HOMES Home environmental systems are not always responsive to dwellers’ requests. A local study on social housing revealed that radiant floor systems were problematic for elders because of their slow response4 . However, if properly TABLE 1: HOUSEHOLD NEEDS, ENABLERS AND CIRCUMSTANCES. 20 BCBEC ELEMENTS A BCBEC PUBLICATION