Energy-efficiency renovation processes and surveys of residents’ usage patterns

Project overview

There is currently a significant resurgence of interest in academic and professional circles in incorporating residents’ practical expertise and taking their ways of living into account within project processes. This focus, which first emerged in the 1980s, has gained fresh momentum since the mid-2000s in light of the energy challenges posed by the ecological transition.

An assessment of efforts to promote energy-efficient refurbishment shows that there are significant discrepancies between predicted energy efficiency and actual post-refurbishment figures. Taking into account residents’ specific circumstances and their practical expertise in energy-efficient refurbishment projects therefore appears to be fundamental. Whilst the concept of ‘user expertise’ had already emerged during the 1990s, in recent years we have witnessed the emergence of a field known as User Control Assistance (AMU), driven by professionals from a wide range of backgrounds (architects, designers, sociologists, etc.) who offer services in this area or respond to requests from urban project owners, particularly in the housing sector.

This PhD project aims to contribute to a better understanding of the growing interest in AMU practices amongst a variety of operators and professionals. It will examine how this type of service is viewed by its initiators, as well as the outcomes it produces.