Abstract

This masters’ research is a stepping stone towards a comprehensive assessment and guidance system that would is to be further developed in a post-masters stage. It starts by performing a critical analysis to BREEAM’s Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH), describing the various sections and requirements to satisfy a code six rating. To pursue the goal of comprehensive guidelines, the research will pursue literature pertaining to Living Building Challenge (LBC), PassivHaus and BREEAM, each chapter concluding with a critical analysis of the system, its stronger points and its potential for implementation in the final framework. A cross case analysis between three case studies reflecting on each of the systems will be performed, analyzing the steps taken and the final output of each system’s efforts on a building that achieved its highest qualification. This will include EcoSense house and zHome for LBC, Kingspan Lighthouse for BREEAM CfSH and Lancaster CoHousing project for PassivHaus.

The research progresses through its chapters by critically analyzing and extrapolating criteria, concluding them at the end of each chapter in order to be analyzed under the larger umbrella of categories. Right before the thesis concludes, the culmination of criteria extracted through the previous chapters were organized and assigned to their respective categories. And finally, based on the overall qualitative and quantitative results of this study, the researched prepared a set of guidelines encompassing a preliminary step towards creating an assessment system with further post-masters research.