Start Here - Module Introduction

Why this module

According to the United Nations Habitat the global housing crisis affects more than 2.8 billion people who are inadequately housed, and over 1.1 billion people live in informal settlements or slums. That means that 34% of the people in the world live under housing poverty.

Housing poverty directly impacts health, comfort, and well-being, while driving higher energy consumption and carbon emissions, increasing vulnerability to climate change.

Housing poverty -defined as living in homes that lack adequate insulation, ventilation, and safe cooking conditions, and thus lack energy efficiency- affects billions of households worldwide. Housing poverty is often synonymous with energy poverty, when more than 10% of household income is spent on heating and cooling. Without the urgent and proper adaptation and mitigation programs, this situation will keep on getting worse rapidly.

Climate change is increasingly responsible for migration and more extreme weather events, intensifying energy poverty globally.

To address energy poverty we need to train a new generation of building scientists with humanitarian concerns who can understand this major housing crisis and implement cost-effective retrofitting to improve habitability and reduce carbon emissions, integrating building science, thermal comfort, and climate action.

Promoting science, fighting climate change and reducing housing poverty are universal values that should be embraced by all, regardless of nationality.

Learning goals:  

• Present why the housing crisis is a pressing issue in the world, how it mainly affects homes in informal settlements in the global south and how this is linked with climate change
• Understand what the basics of building science and weatherization are and how they can contribute to address the largest part of the housing crisis: existing homes which are energy inefficient  -homes that fail to maintain safe indoor temperatures, allow air leakage, and drive high energy costs for families
• Understand all the ways how climate change intersects with housing vulnerability, including adaptation and mitigation.
• Become familiar with the potential applications of building science and weatherization in your own communities and homes

Target Age Range:

High school students, grades 9-12 (ages 14-18)

Key Vocabulary:

• Informal settlement / slum
• Housing poverty
• Energy poverty
• Building envelope
• Thermal transmittance (K value)
• Thermal insulation
• Air leakage / infiltration
• Vapor barrier
• Carbon monoxide (CO)
• Particulate matter (PM)
• Weatherization
• Retrofitting
• Carbon emissions
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Climate resilience

Key Concepts:

• The global housing crisis and its connection to climate change
• How housing conditions affect health, safety, quality of life, and energy poverty
• Heat transfer in homes: radiation, conduction, and convection
• The building envelope as a system: thermal, moisture, and air control
• Indoor air quality risks: CO, PM, mold, and safety hazards
• Energy efficiency as a tool for social justice
• Building science as a response to housing poverty in informal settlements
• Climate change as a driver of migration and housing vulnerability
• Weatherization and retrofitting as cost-effective solutions