Passive house-concept apartments: sustainability evaluation in a case study of Stockholm, Sweden

The housing sector accounts for almost one-third of total energy use in Sweden; of this amount, the operation phase of a building is responsible for around 85% of its total energy use. The Swedish government aims to reduce the energy consumption in buildings by 50 % by the year 2050. One way to achieve this goal is the construction of the low-energy buildings. The purpose of the study has been to analyse the Bla Jungfrun passive house-concept, tenant occupied apartments in Stockholm, Sweden, through a blend of qualitative and quantitative research methodology. The Swedish energy-efficient buildings are considered as a platform for recommendations for improving the knowledge and practice of low-energy buildings grounded in sustainability science as the theoretical framework. The study has investigated the roles of the responsible architects and design features of the Bla Jungfrun. The economic viability of the apartments is calculated by the economic evaluation software OekoRat for a life span of 50 years. The annual energy requirements of the studied apartments are analysed in regard to their post-occupancy evaluations. The social inclusion of the Bla Jungfrun tenants is investigated considering the issue of their participation in planning stages of the apartments. The empirical findings of the study shows the inevitable correlations between the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of the passive house. The findings suggested that in order to achieve a successful sustainable system of the sustainable housing, a holistic approach in the low-energy buildings is necessary.