More space, please: spatial adaptations (modifications) and their impact on the habitability of Social Houses

Abstract

Social House (SH) residents usually make spatial adaptations. With no technical guidance, these modifications often compromise building performance. This article investigates the dynamics of modifications made to low-income houses and their consequences for habitability conditions. The data were obtained through on-site spatial mapping and a semi-structured interview. The study found modifications that expand the built area and a tendency to occupy the total area of the lot. The type of expansion with the greatest impact on the environmental quality of a house was predominant in the row houses (89.2%). The need for more space is confirmed by houses that have grown more than 30.0% up to over 70.0%. The study also identified a large number of removed windows, and expansions that confined rooms. Besides thermal discomfort, many rooms bear signs of unhealthiness, such as mold, lack of ventilation and sunlight, which have a negative impact on residents’ health. Extreme cases were found (G=12.1%), in which the access gate to the house is the only way of contact with the outside. Spatial adaptations in SH are recurrent and cannot be disregarded as they significantly compromise the health conditions in the houses under study.