Edinburgh Napier University

  Scotland is currently increasing its housing stock at a rate of less than 1% per year. With 174,000 households registered on local authority waiting lists for new or improved housing, the energy-efficient retrofit of derelict and dilapidated housing stock is
seen as a key strategy in meeting this demand.
The traditional “4-in a block” archetype is seen to characterise the housing stock of many low-income communities across Scotland. Such homes were constructed using masonry cavity walls and other experimental techniques which complicate the refurbishment process
in meeting current, low-carbon standards.
This paper presents the results from a building performance and retrofit strategy evaluation on two, 4-in-a-block dwellings. One block was purposely built in the Building Research Establishment (BRE) Innovation Park in Motherwell, Scotland whilst the other block forms
part of a wider urban regeneration scheme in the region of Fife, Scotland.
In-situ thermal testing and subsequent analysis of each building block showed that significant improvements in meeting modern low-carbon standards and acceptable health conditions can be achieved. The outcomes demonstrated that the rehabilitation of such
house types can make a significant contribution to the built environment with improvement to: 1. The provision of housing 2. Reducing the demand for new build housing, 3. Protecting
development on green belts and 4. The vitality of existing communities. The findings from this research have been used to direct future dwelling refurbishment strategies, steer innovation in archetype regeneration, generate new knowledge on social housing issues and improve knowledge on methods to meet housing demand.