Evaluation of Influence of the Environment on the Choice of Buildings for Residential Living

Abstract

In the CR (Czech Republic), there are a lot of prefabricated housing estates built in the 70s and 80s of the 20th century, which are at the end of their life cycle. The main goal of the project was to evaluate the rate of energy savings in the long term due to the revitalization of prefabricated apartment buildings, and thus provide feedback to the relevant authorities on its effectiveness. Another goal was to evaluate selected parameters of living comfort in the locality for the purposes of the real estate market with the possibility of providing them to those interested in living in the locality. A complex of methods was used, which evaluate criteria from various spheres, such as environment, spatial relationships, social aspects, etc. The authors used a combination of multi-criterial analysis methods (MCA) and spatial analysis within a Geographical Information System (GIS). Of all MCA methods, weighted linear combination (WLC) was chosen as the most suitable. In the spatial analyses, the matter of solution was, above all, the distance to the center and the transport within the given locality. The above-mentioned methods served as a model for evaluating whether a panel house in question is or is not suitable for reconstruction. The input data of the model are spatial data—national map series of the CR, environmental data (noise maps, energy demands of buildings)—and statistical data obtained from various sources (city administration of Brno, relevant organizations, and interviews with respondents). Within Inquiry Form 3, potential groups of respondents were addressed: Group A—people over fifty, group B—young families with children, group C—students under 25. The projected model was tested in Brno city in the locality of Nový Lískovec (CR). The proposed model provided information on the quality of housing in a given locality in terms of energy intensity, noise pollution, transport accessibility, and civic amenities. The output is a multi-criteria model with GIS support, which is generally applicable. The results of the model analyses led to the demonstration of the effectiveness of revitalization. The results can be used for estate offices or other organizations in the form of graphical outputs of appropriate variants on the basis of solving a lot of criteria when searching for a suitable residence.