Abstract

People spend most of their time indoors and majority of this time is spent inside their homes. The vulnerable population, including those with low-income, consider housing as central to their lives. More so for the elderly and sick as they stay inside their residences for even longer times. In Australia, almost 14% of the population live below poverty line. Therefore, social housing for low-income population is key to the national housing sector. In Melbourne, many social housing are single-sided units in high-rise buildings. The indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in these units is generally poor due to building design and characteristics, lack of maintenance and absence of appropriate heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, causing health-related problems to a vulnerable group. This paper will present a critical review of the IEQ in social housing units in high-rise buildings and its impact on occupant health and comfort. This paper will also explore the interrelationships between the IEQ factors to get a holistic view of their performance focusing on how the design of the building envelope and the provision of windows affect the overall indoor environment of the residential units.