Multi-Performance Characterization of a Modular Wooden House

Although not a new concept, modular construction has been the target of increasing interest and investment in recent years. Modular wood construction systems have economic and environmental advantages, as wood is a natural and locally available raw material with interesting thermal properties. In this context, the BlueWoodenHouse Project, a closed cooperation project between academy and industry, aims to improve the actual knowledge of modular wood construction in Portugal. Among other objectives, the project aims to characterize the solutions, systems, and materials used in wooden modular construction, specifically in a modular wooden, single-family house in full use. Afterward, the house was monitored for 1 year (temperature, relative humidity, and CO2) and the data collected were analyzed and the interior thermal comfort was evaluated. The results of CO2 concentration monitoring indicate adequate air renewal rates, except for some periods in the bedroom, during the night. Additionally, application of the adaptive comfort model proposed by the EN 16798-2 standard resulted in a percentage of time in discomfort due to overcooling ranging between 31.3% and 38.6%. However, most of these periods may correspond to times when there is no occupancy of these spaces.

Automated summary

Modular construction, especially using wood, has gained increasing interest and investment. The BlueWoodenHouse Project in Portugal aims to improve knowledge of modular wood construction by characterizing solutions, systems, and materials and evaluating thermal comfort in a fully occupied modular wooden house. The results show adequate air renewal rates and a percentage of time in discomfort due to overcooling, but most of these periods coincide with unoccupied spaces.