Hoxha, V and Pallaska, F (2025) Role of sustainable refurbishment in the perception of quality of life of residential building occupants in Prishtina, Kosovo. International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, 43(3), pp. 548-565. ISSN 2398-4708
Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this research is to investigate the impact of thermal, acoustic and HVAC upgrades on the perception of the quality of life among residential building occupants. Design/methodology/approach: The present study used a quantitative research approach, utilizing a questionnaire as the research instrument. A survey was conducted with 1,119 residential apartment building occupants in Prishtina, Kosovo, using a stratified random sampling method for selection of participants. Findings: The present study used quantitative research with a questionnaire as the research instrument. The survey was conducted with 1,119 residential apartment building occupants in Prishtina, Kosovo, using stratified random sampling. The study found that thermal retrofits, acoustic retrofits and HVAC upgrades as a whole model affect the perception of the quality of life of residential building occupants in Prishtina, Kosovo. However, the study found that not all dimensions of the constructed research model (thermal, acoustic and HVAC) affect the perception of the quality of life of residential building occupants. Specifically, thermal retrofitting seems to strongly influence the perception of quality of life, while HVAC upgrades do not seem to have an impact on the quality of life of occupants. Finally, acoustic retrofits also influence the perception of the quality of life, although not to the same degree as thermal retrofitting. Research limitations/implications: The present study contributes to understanding the role that thermal retrofits, acoustic retrofits and HVAC upgrades play in the perception of quality of life by building occupants in an understudied region with a booming real estate sector such as Kosovo. The study also highlights the need for further analysis to understand why HVAC upgrades do not seem to influence the perception of quality of life by residential building occupants in Kosovo. Originality/value: The present study is the first to quantify the impact of thermal, acoustic and HVAC upgrades on the perception of the quality of life of residential building occupants in Prishtina, Kosovo.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | acoustic retrofits; HVAC upgrades; perception; quality of life; thermal retrofits |
| Index terms: | residential building, quantitative research, dimension, real estate, thermal retrofit, sampling, quality of life, apartment building, survey, retrofitting, methodology, questionnaire |
| Subjects: | research methods, construction type, renovation and retrofit, energy efficiency, public and environmental health, data collection methods, data analysis and analytics, health monitoring assessment and metrics, real estate economics |
| Topics: | Health and Safety, Engineering Principles, Research Practice, Construction Technology, Urban Studies, Design Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here