The benefits of building adaptability as a strategy for Sustainable Affordable Housing

Three billion people will need access to adequate, safe and affordable housing by 2030. Housing inadequacy, user dissatisfaction, and the effects of climate change limit the achievement of the SDG target for affordable housing, which often lacks the resilience to adapt to both social and environmental changes, prompting informal interventions or resulting in increased energy use, emissions, disrepair, vacancy, or health risks. This research focuses on building adaptability, identified as a critical strategy and assessment factor for achieving Sustainable Affordable Housing (SAH). It outlines potential benefits of implementing adaptability through a systematic approach and seeks to move beyond the prevailing practice of viewing affordability solely through an economic lens, advocating a broader approach that considers multiple factors contributing to quality of life. It calls for ensuring long-term sustainability, minimizing environmental impacts while guaranteeing adequate building quality and limiting costs. The research adopts a Systematic Literature Review to identify key strategies for achieving SAH. It further investigates design for adaptability, which demonstrates synergies with other strategies and has emerged as an effective approach for SAH. Through thematic analysis, this study then explores its potential benefits. The research provides an overview of the concept of building adaptability, with a focus on definition, drivers of change, types of adaptability and discussion for practical implementation. The benefits of adaptability for SAH are analysed in relation to the main requirements highlighted for affordable housing. The research highlighted the potential of Design for Adaptability as a strategy for achieving SAH, given its capacity to provide housing solutions that are robust and resilient to evolving social, environmental, economic, legislative and technical needs, emerging during the building lifecycle. This calls for the need to develop guidelines and tools for long-term sustainability through future-proof design, minimizing environmental impacts, ensuring adequate quality and limiting costs.