Albogasto John Pangamawe Ng'asi har disputert med sin doktogradsavhandling den 29. november 2019:

"A QUEST FOR CONTINUITY FOR PEACE AND PROSPERITY: Post-war land and property claims and disputes in northern Uganda - The case of the Acholi group in Amuru sub-county" 

Land is one of the few valuable resources in post-conflict rural communities which support return, reconstruction and early recovery. As such, reinstating land claims to returnees makes a significant contribution to the renewal and sustenance of their livelihoods. This research focuses on Amuru sub-county, Northern Uganda as a case to examine how perceptions and attitudes emerging from the Acholi’s prolonged displacement in camps affected their return and recovery. It addresses the impacts these perceptions have had on land and property claims and associated disputes.
The research adopts a grounded theoretical approach to data collection and a matrix as an analytical tool. Pragmatic symbolic interactionism is used in understanding and interpreting actors’ perceived truth and actions. The analysis accepts that displaced individuals’ perceptions emanating from forced dislocation and dispossession are real in relation to influencing land claims and associated disputes. Furthermore, this research uses existing theories and discourses that can offer a basis for studying forced displacement that is associated with land claims related to: 1) ancient concepts of territory, land and property relating to current trends and practice; and 2) development and reconstruction discourses.
To conduct this research, qualitative interviews and observation, focus group discussion, documentary evidence and archives, textbooks and journal articles were utilised. The collected information formed a matrix for data analysis and case presentation.
The research findings show that perceptions and attitudes developed during displacement affected the process of land claims and associated disputes. These issues include: threats to women’s rights to land, monetisation of the local economy, changes in traditional values and practices, emergence of land markets, and participation and consultation. While it is vital for government and international donors to facilitate the restitution of land and property to returnees, the restitution alone is insufficient without strengthening land tenure security. This research shows that the formalisation of land tenure is key to providing security of ownership and investment, though it remains controversial and costly to implement. The research argues that simple forms of rights formalisation are necessary in order to either retain customary rights through a legal approach or transfer rights to land into a modern freehold system.
KEYWORDS: the Acholi group/ forced displacement/ land claims/ disputes and conflicts/ Bretton Woods/ socio-economic changes/ displacement camps/ post-war return

9. august forsvarte Raymond Maichael Pritchard sin doktoravhandling med tittelen:

"The influence on urban transport infrastructure on bicycle route and mode choice"

The prioritisation of bicycle-friendly infrastructure is now on the agenda of many policymakers seeking to capitalise on the advantages of cycling for transport. This thesis focusses upon how the improved availability, quality, and connectivity of infrastructure suitable for cycling can influence cycling behaviour at the city and neighbourhood level.

Two key elements are necessary to understand the local-scale impact of bicycle infrastructure: the decision to bicycle in preference of other transport modes and the choice of route on the transport network. This thesis first addresses bicycle mode and route choice independently of each other before analysing the interaction between these elements in the context of bicycle infrastructure interventions.

This article-based thesis is comprised of five separate research papers: four empirical studies and a literature review. Three of the empirical cases are based in the Norwegian city of Trondheim and the fourth is based in Oslo. Paper I concerns the modal shift of employees following a workplace relocation. Papers II and III are focused on bicycle route choice – firstly as a review of methods and then in connection with student route preferences. The two final papers, Papers IV and V integrate both mode and route choice elements for the detailed analysis of neighbourhood scale effects resulting from the installation of bicycle lanes in Trondheim and Oslo respectively.

The research uses a mixed methods approach, with a focus on empirical data to address the objectives of the thesis. Before and after travel surveys, web-based maps and GPS are the main means of data collection. Comparative analyses are performed using a Geographic Information System (GIS).

Findings suggest that the decision to bicycle is to a significant extent determined by trip and spatial characteristics of the destination (Paper I). Route substitution is witnessed in both intervention studies (Papers IV and V), whilst significant changes (p < .05) in the modal share of cyclists is only witnessed in one (Paper IV), suggesting that it is mostly changes of route rather than mode that contribute to an individual intervention street’s change in bicycle volumes.

Bicycle-specific infrastructure appears to be generally valued by all types of road users, however, the evidence suggests that public transport users and pedestrians are more willing to change their mode of transport assuming the only changes made are to the bicycle infrastructure (Papers I and IV). This suggests that much of the increase in the use of new bicycle infrastructure is the result of a reduction in the use of other sustainable transport modes. Many of the benefits associated with increased cycling are the result of reduced private car use, but for this to be achieved, it appears that initiatives beneficial for cyclists alone are insufficient.

The means by which different transport infrastructure attributes can be researched and are valued by users are discussed by Papers II and III respectively. Paper II is a systematic review summarising the means through which revealed preference bicycle route choice data can be collected whilst Paper III evaluates four different Bicycle Level of Service (BLOS) methods for determining bicycle route choice. The latter study reveals that empirically founded BLOS methods with the most explanatory infrastructural attributes correspond best with actual route choices of university students, with the Bicycle Compatibility Index having the best match.

Developing an understanding of the impacts of bicycle infrastructure can assist the prioritisation of limited city budgets towards the promotion of sustainable mobility behaviour. This research attempts to advance the state of the art for bicycle route choice research whilst also addressing the decision to bicycle for transportation purposes.

25. juni forsvarte Martin Braathen sin doktorgradsavhandling ved institutt for arkitektur og teknologi, NTNU:

THE MAGICIAN AND THE SHOEMAKER. 
Debates on Open Form and Marxist-Leninism in Norway around 1970

Veiledere: Branko Mitrović og Thordis Arrhenius

The thesis begins with the observation of a radical, political impulse appearing in the architectural debate in Norway in 1970, expressed by the movements of Open Form and Marxist-Leninist architects. Compared to the preceding modernist critique of the 1960s, this radical-political shift was stronger in its rhetoric, more dismissive of its opponents, and more radical in its political argumentation.

The thesis studies how this shift manifested in fierce debate in Norwegian architecture magazines and how it addressed, and was in turn fueled by, a changing professional reality, where the role of the postwar architect-specialist was threatened from several sides. The intersection of architecture and society became the crux of a new form of systemic critique that explored how architecture was organized both as intellectual and productive work in society.  

Onsdag 19. juni forsvarte Mari Oline Giske Stendebakken sin doktoravhandling; Kulturminner og analyse - Vurdering av vernede bygninger innenfor kulturminnevern, arkitektur og offentlig investeringsanalyse:

”Kulturminner og analyse. Vurdering av vernede bygninger innenfor kulturminnevern, arkitektur og offentlig investeringsanalyse”

Analyse av vernede bygninger utføres innenfor flere fag, slik som kulturminnevern, arkitektur og offentlig investeringsanalyse, og på vesensforskjellig vis. De fagfeltene som er involvert i vernede bygninger og ideelt sett skal samarbeide, har vidt forskjellige perspektiver og varierende grad av bevissthet rundt vernede bygninger og verdiene disse besitter.

Avhandlingens mest kritiske funn er empiriske data som viser at offentlig investeringsanalyse i dag har manglende diskusjon av både nytte og kostnad forbundet med vernede bygninger. Slik analyse har manglende diskusjon av vernede bygningers verdi og potensiale for bruk, og av følgekostnader for fraflyttede vernede bygninger ved diskusjon av nybyggalternativ. Manglende diskusjon av kulturminneverdier og kostnadene forbundet med dem er viktige funn, fordi offentlig investeringsanalyse veileder politikeres beslutninger ved valg av konsept. Avhandlingens konklusjon er at offentlig investeringsanalyse vedrørende vernede bygninger vil kunne tjene på å vektlegge kulturminner og inkludere andre fagperspektiver i analysen av vernede bygninger, fordi det kan gi et mer komplett bilde for beslutningstager. Samtidig kan arkitektur og kulturminnevern få større politisk gjennomslag gjennom å engasjere seg i offentlig investeringsanalyse i større grad. 

Torsdag 23. mai 2019 forsvarte David Collins sin doktoravhandling med tittelen: 

”Green Leasing: A study of the Barriers and Drivers for Green Leased Offices in Norway”

Avhandlingen diskuterer grønn utleie i kontorbygg, driverne og barrierer knyttet til utvikling og implementering, med et spesielt forskningsfokus på Norge

Abstract | PhD | David Collins

Green Leasing:
A Study of the Barriers and Drivers for Green Leased Offices in Norway

This thesis discusses Green Leasing in office buildings, and the drivers and barriers associated with its development and implementation, with a particular research focus on Norway.
The research for this project was funded by NTNU, more specifically the Centre for Real Estate and Facilities Management at the Department of Architecture and Planning in the Faculty of Architecture and Design.

The aim of this thesis was to explore Green Leasing and related topics (such as Green Leases) in the context of their potential (both currently and prospectively) in the context of the built environment.
This project is a three-phase study using mixed methods and is for the most part exploratory, containing a combination of interviews, a survey and literature research.
The end objective was to better understand the state of current research and terminological penetration, the drivers and barriers for the development of Green Leasing in offices, as well as the current situation and future possibilities for facilities management in this context.

The results of these studies are presented in the thesis as well as the attachment of eight articles, seven of which have undergone full peer review and acceptance for publication in their respective journal or conference at the time of this thesis publication.

Det høyaktuelle temaet campusplanlegging for NTNU på Gløshaugen har vært Savis Goharis bakteppe for doktorgradsavhandlingen:

"Governance in the planning and decition-making process. The co-location case of university campuses in Trondheim, Norway (2000-2013)".

Savis Gohari forsvarte sin doktoravhandling 5. april 2019, ved institutt for teknologi NTNU,Trondheim.

The co-location of NTNU campuses in Trondheim has involved many different and contrasting political interests and power relations that has undermined the process of decision-making and planning for more than 20 years. The essence of this thesis was distilled from the general assumption that network governance, which is based on the negotiation and collaboration rationality, can overcome the limitations of anarchic market exchange and top-down planning and decision-making.

The main research question has been ‘how the governance structure and process have influenced campus development in Trondheim from 2000 to 2013’. The thesis tried to empirically address the complex, non-linear and multi-layered processes of NTNU’s co-location case, using and integrating different theoretical-analytical models, including ‘structural-functionalism’ and ‘rounds model of decision-making’ to explain and illuminate why the co-location was stopped in 2006 and thereafter approved in 2013. The thesis represents an embedded single case study, which looked at three levels of governance: understructure and superstructure, referring to ‘university governance’, and middle structure or ‘urban governance’. Accordingly, the research objective was to analyze ‘governance structures’, i.e. the way actors stand in a network and interact with each other across levels, together with ‘governance processes’, i.e. the interrelation between actors’ attributes (such as interests, resource, power and roles) at different levels and rounds of decision-making.

The thesis conclude that in order to understand complex, unpredictable and non-linear planning and decision-making processes, one should go beyond legal and formal frameworks, investigating the political structure underpinning the informal functioning of governance in terms of different actors’ roles, interests, resources and power. Thus, exploring governance requires political, cultural and periodic review. A longitudinal perspective can help to unfold the chain of events and processes, which can provide a better understanding about the reality of the case. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of a governance model, the thesis recommended identifying governance structure, operational efficiencies and ways of remedying its deficiencies in interaction with governance functions and processes.

Øystein Mejlænder-Larsen har disputert

Torsdag 14. mars 2019 forsvarte Øystein Mejlænder-Larsen sin doktoravhandling med tittelen:

”Use of project execution models and BIM in oil and gas projects: Searching for relevant improvements for construction”.

Olje- og gassindustrien er preget av store og komplekse prosjekter og har investert tungt i utviklingen av ny teknologi. Prosjektutførelsesmodeller (PEM) er innført som en strukturert måte å gjennomføre tverrfaglige arbeidsprosesser gjennom alle prosjektfaser. Byggemodellmodellering (BIM) benyttes i samordning av komplekse prosjekter og er en del av arbeidsprosessene som er definert i en PEM. Dette har vært grunnlaget for det første spørsmålet: Hvordan brukes PEM og BIM i store olje- og gassprosjekter i de tilfeller som er studert? Utviklingen mot større og mer komplekse prosjekter i byggebransjen betyr at aktører i byggebransjen vil dra nytte av å skaffe seg kunnskap og læring fra olje- og gassindustrien. Dette har vært grunnlaget for det andre spørsmålet: Hvordan kan erfaringer fra de studerte sakene være relevante for forbedringer i byggeprosjekter?

Xu Dongming har den 16. november 2018, disputert med doktorgradsavhandlingen 

“A Multi-Perspective Observation of Site Museums. Case study of Archaeological Site Museums in China, with Norwegian Example as Reference”

Based on the documentation and analysis of anthropological fieldwork carried out from 2009 to 2015 on three selected site museum cases, this dissertation focuses on the phenomenon of installation management in Chinese site museums placed in the context of high-paced social transformation and modernization, with a Norwegian example as reference. It begins with a brief history of the formation of Chinese and Norwegian conservation institutions. Thereafter, it proposes and tests a social communication pattern of site museum management in China, explored via the origin and definition of ‘site museum,’ by revisiting some related essential conservation principles. Finally, it provides an assessment framework composed of the authenticity, integrity, and continuity concepts which build upon the fundamental issues of site museums. 

The Daming Palace National Heritage Park and Han Yangling Museum in Xi’an, specifically the archaeological exhibition hall for the Outer Burial Pits of Yangling Imperial Cemetery of Han Dynasty, are taken as the study cases in China for the field investigation and further exploration. Meanwhile, the Hedmark Museum, an archaeological site museum in Norway, acts as the reference example for the fieldwork and research. Methodologically, this involves a multi-perspective approach which combines historical, anthropological, archaeological, and architectural studies on site museums. The methods of social anthropology are employed as the scientific tools in the fieldwork through semi-structured interviews and participant observation. Particularly, the interview documentation concentrates on the reflection of the different participants including museum staff, archaeologists, architects, civil engineers, contractors, and conservation officers who represent different institutions participating in the related site museum projects. A critical analysis of the cases helps clarify the basic principles of site museum construction and may also be useful for similar practices in other countries. Together, the collected interview notes provide valuable insights into the role of archaeological site museums in the operation of cultural heritage management and enhancement. Sixteen informants from different professional fields were interviewed. These interviews provide valuable documentation as oral history records that can draw an overall picture of the Chinese and Norwegian cases. Particularly, many of the interviewees, as professionals in different relevant fields of museums and architectural conservation, express their different thoughts and ideas on the practice of architectural conservation in China and Norway, meriting this study as a baseline for future research.

Veiledere:
Dag Nilsen, professor, institutt for arkitektur og teknologi, NTNU
Branko Mitrović, professor, institutt for arkitektur og teknologi, NTNU

Maria Eggertsen Teder disputerte 1. november 2018 med doktorgradsavhandlingen:

“From outsideness to insideness - placemaking in public space”

This thesis originates from observations made in practice, giving rise to a curiosity about the conditions that encourage, or discourage, people to interact with public environments. It investigates the concept of placemaking with the aim of defining what placemaking means to architects and urban designers in theory and practice. It points at possibilities and consequences of the approach, and for whom. Placemaking is the simultaneous building of physical objects and relationships; relationships between people, and relationships between people and places. The theoretical core of the thesis strives to enrich the view on the built environment by adding the perspective of lifeworlds to the urban planning discourse. Five key concepts are used to describe this transformation process: place attachment, place outsideness, place insideness, involvement, and cocreation. 

Putting place attachment and co-creation on the conscious, professional agenda of architects and urban planners is the main message from this research. Furthermore, clarifying the possible effects of placemaking on individual well-being as well as on the physical qualities of a place is central in this work. In order to work with placemaking, professional actors (including municipalities) have to become clear about in which of Carmona’s phases they are willing to let others contribute, and then find the appropriate working methods for this to happen.

Veiledere har vært:
Markus Schwai, Professor, Department of Architecture and Planning, NTNU
Eli Støa, Professor, Department of Architecture and Planning, NTNU
 

30. mai 2018 forsvarte Mari Anna Chatarina Skoglund sin doktoravhandling med tittelen:

”Integrated Workplace Concepts and Organisational Change”

Veiledere: Geir K. Hansen (prof.) og Siri H. Blakstad (prof.) ved NTNU.

This doctoral thesis investigates the use of Integrated Workplace Concepts (IWCs) as a strategic tool to affect organisational change and development. Previous research has illustrated how spatial environments with great effectiveness may be used to influence and change a wide variety of organisational aspects. Inconsistent and conflicting findings, however, raise the need for creating a deeper understanding of the effects of such spatial change initiatives. The focus in this research is therefore built on a constructivist and more precisely a sociomaterial perspective. Special attention is therefore given to how IWCs are strategically used by the organisation and further understood or ‘translated’ as the new concept is implemented.

Through a literature review and three case studies, it has been investigated how these strategic efforts unfold in different organisational contexts.

The main focus is placed on whether the concept function as intended – succeed in achieving the intended ends – or whether unintended outcomes have challenged the strategic change efforts. Special attention is given to studying how underlying issues such as; conflicts of interests, work patterns, cultural and departmental differences, organisational hierarchies and the like are influential in the execution of spatial change management strategies. 

Fabio Alberto Hernandez-Palacio forsvarte sin doktoravhandling den 10. april 2018:

"Urban Densification and the Sustainable City in Norway: A Study of Drivers and Barriers"

This article-based doctoral thesis addresses the following question: What are the main drivers and barriers of urban densification as planning strategy in the quest for more sustainable cities in Norway?

The research uses a mixed-method approach to explore specific aspects of the densification process. One such aspect is the practicability of making denser the sprawling Norwegian cities, and the effects that such gains in density imply for transport, one of the most significant aspects of sustainability. Another aspect investigated is the issue of social acceptability using land prices as a proxy. The analysis, based on a hedonic pricing model for Trondheim, indicates a tendency towards higher prices of dwellings per square metre in denser locations, although some aspects of density seem to produce a contrary effect. The research also delivers a systemic overview of the actors and factors shaping urban development. This analysis applies a multilevel-perspective approach used in sustainability transition studies to study the main factors and actors behind urban densification in Trondheim. Resulting data indicate that despite a strong emphasis in planning towards sustainability, practices behind urban development have not changed much. 

As an answer to the main question posed above, the main drivers and barriers of urban densification in Norway are as follows. The environmental: Global environmental concerns have driven the adoption of national and local policies towards greater efficiency in the use of natural resources and a decrease in pollution. Urban densification is regarded as an important means to achieve these targets. The most important environmental barrier is the pre-existence of a scattered urban layout, fragmented in the rugged Norwegian geography, which makes it difficult to increase urban density and make substantial gains from recent changes in policy. The social: Demographic changes have facilitated the application of densification policies but entrenched social values, such as freedom of choice, make it difficult to apply restrictive measures, such as urban containment or car-usage restrictions. The economic: Changes towards a knowledge-based economy imply multiple benefits from larger, more intense urban environments; but given the pre-existence of a large sprawled urban form, the sunk investments in infrastructure make it difficult to accelerate urban changes towards denser urban environments. The institutional: The discourse on sustainability has gained strength at almost all institutional levels. However, to a large extent legal frameworks and procedural traditions remain unchanged.

8. februar, 2018 forsvarte Cristian Roberto Valle Kinloch sin doktoravhandling:

”The Facility Management and Building User Interaction in the delivery of Energy Management Services:
Theoretical approach and practical applications for facilities managers on non-residential buildings”

The built environment is accredited for a significant portion of global energy consumption (40%) and generation of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions (36%). Reducing the amount of energy used during the service life of buildings is paramount towards reducing the sector´s energy and carbon footprint. Strategies that include the adoption of passive design building concepts and the introduction of energy efficient technologies are essential to supporting energy efficiency goals. 

However, mounting evidence indicates that buildings designed for low energy use can often perform much worse than their design intentions, an issue commonly referred to as the energy performance gap (EPG). How people choose to use or interact with buildings is widely regarded as one of the most significant factors influencing this performance gap. Energy strategies that aim to reduce energy use by modifying the energy-behaviour of building occupants are increasingly gaining attention. Facility managers can play a strategic role in leading organizational change towards building a sustainable workforce

Vegard Knotten har med suksess forsvart sin doktorgradsavhandling, 6. februar 2018:

«Building design management in the early stages».

Målet med oppgaven har vært å si noe om hvordan prosjekteringsledelse i tidligfase av byggeprosjekter bør håndteres. BAE-næringen står overfor mange endringer, og de tidlige fasene av byggeprosjekter regnes som de mest krevende og utfordrende å lede. Hvilke utfordringer finnes i tidlig fase av prosjekter, hva er suksesskriteriene for prosjekteringsledelse - og hva kan prosjekteringsledelse lære fra offhore engineering og skipsdesign? Dette er spørsmål som Vegard Knotten stiller i avhandlingen.

Hallgrim Hjelmbrekke har disputert

Hallgrim Hjelmbrekke disputerte 3. november 2017 ved NTNU for ph.d.-graden med avhandlingen:

«Styring av byggeprosjekter mot strategiske mål. Eierstyring som et virkemiddel for strategisk effekt». 

Sammendrag
I avhandlingen stiller Hallgrim Hjelmbrekke spørsmålet: Hvordan kan byggeprosjekter innrette seg etter kundens strategiske og forretningsmessige mål?

For å forstå problemet og å kunne iverksette tiltak, er det utarbeidet en generisk modell for eierstyring. Modellen identifiserer avvik mellom kundens mål og prosjektets leveranser, underliggende årsaker til dette og foreslår fire sentrale tiltak som skal forbedre prosjekteierstyringen.

I utgangspunktet er enhver beslutning om å investere i et nytt prosjekt begrunnet med et ønske om å løse et problem og skape en endring til en bedre situasjon for brukere som igjen gjør det mulig for prosjekteier å høste en gevinst og strategisk nytte. Prosjekter rent generelt lykkes bare til en viss grad å realisere nytte for eier. Investeringer i byggeprosjekter bekrefter dette bildet og preges av mangel på produktivitet, kostnadsoverskridelser, kvalitetsmangler og misfornøyde brukere. Dette indikerer at prosjektenes intensjon om verdiskaping for brukere og nytte for eiere forsvinner underveis i byggeprosessen.

Det er en tydelig trend at når prosjekter mislykkes, så er mangel på eierstyring årsaken til problemet. Hovedkonklusjonen er at det er en mangel på kompetanse og forståelse hos prosjekteier hva angår prosjektets rolle som strategisk verktøy og hva som er de viktigste suksessfaktorer for å høste de strategiske effekter av prosjektene. Samtidig er det avdekket en manglende kompetanse på leverandørsiden (prosjekteringsteam) i forhold til å forstå prosjektets forretningsmessige mål og innrette leveransen innenfor et rammeverk i form av en enhetlig forretningsmodell.

Veiledere:
Geir K. Hansen, professor, Institutt for arkitektur og planlegging, NTNU
Ola Lædre, førsteamanuensis, Institutt for bygg og miljø, NTNU

Sakkyndig komite:
Aaron Shenhar, professor, Diamond Leadership Institute, USA
Kalle Kähkönen, professor, Tampere University of Technology, Finland
Siri Hunnes Blakstad, professor II, Institutt for arkitektur og planlegging, NTNU

Administrator:
Tore Brandstveit Haugen, professor, Institutt for arkitektur og planlegging, NTNU

Hallgrim Hjelmbrekke har vært Næringslivsstipendiat, finansiert fra Norges Forskningsråd og  Rambøll as.

Ketil Bråthen disputerte 15. september 2017 med doktorgradsavhandlingen:

"Implementing BIM for enhanced inter-organizational collaboration in building projects"

Veiledere: 
Dr. Anita Moum, Sintef, 
Professor Tore Haugen, NTNU
Dr. Anne Inga Hilsen, FAFO

Fernanda Acre Pacheco forsvarte sin doktorgradsavhandeling den 20. april 2017:

"Spatial quality assessment for energy-efficiency renovation of dwellings"

Spatial quality is the perception of the quality of the physical space. The user perceives spatial quality through the relationships between physical elements. The interface between walls, ceilings, doors, windows and columns, as well as inside and outside spaces under different (day) light conditions all define spatial quality. This PhD research thesis proposes a spatial quality definition, and a measurable and objective assessment framework to evaluate and predict the impact of energy efficiency renovation of dwellings on spatial quality. 

(1) views, (2) internal spatiality and spatial arrangements, (3) the transition between public and private spaces, and (4) perceived density, built and human densities. These spatial quality determinants are developed during the PhD research, based on a literature study on the quality of life in the urban environment, spatiality and spatial perception, energy efficiency renovation of dwellings, and a study of seven actual dwelling renovation cases. The prime reasons why this research has focused on spatial quality are the lack of a clear spatial quality definition on the building scale in the literature, and the sometimes unintended but always unmeasured impact of energy efficiency renovation of dwellings on spatial quality.

Climate change and the urge for sustainability have led the building industry into a radical re-thinking of how they construct new buildings and renovate existing ones. Energy efficiency renovation of dwellings is an opportunity to increase people’s well-being in a dwelling, rather than just improving its technical energy performance. The positive link between the renovation and benefits to people’s everyday life has the potential to increase end users’ acceptance and building owners’ willingness for renovation. The spatial quality definition and assessment developed in this PhD research are intended to strengthen the understanding of the quality of physical spaces in dwellings. The assessment can help to evaluate and predict the effect of energy efficiency renovation on spatial quality in dwellings. It can also help design teams to include spatial quality in energy efficiency renovation, and explore the potential of the renovation to improve the spatial quality in dwellings.

This PhD work has two contributions and two main findings. The first contribution is the spatial quality definition for dwellings. The second contribution is the assessment framework. The first main finding of the research is that energy efficiency renovation affects spatial quality in dwellings, and that the renovation can improve spatial quality, not only energy performance. The effects can be positive, for example, if there are new openings in the facade, or negative if the changes in the plan result in excessively deep rooms in relation to the size of the windows. The second main finding follows from the literature study on the renovation of dwellings, on spatial quality related issues, and from the study of the renovation cases. In order to improve spatial quality in energy efficiency renovation, increased spatial quality may be planned at an early stage of the renovation process together with the increased energy performance.

Johan Mattsson forsvarte sin doktorgradsavhandling 26. januar 2017:

"The impact of microclimate on biodeterioration of wood in historic buildings"

Bygningsmaterialer i historiske bygninger kan gjennom en langvarig eksponering for ulike klimatiske og mikroklimatiske forhold utsettes for en gradvis nedbrytning av biologiske skadegjørere. Denne studien viser at avgjørende faktorer i forskjellige tilfeller av biologisk nedbrytning i stor grad er temperatur og fuktighet på et mikroklimatisk nivå, helt ned til noen få centimeter rundt vedcellene i treverket. 

Ved bygningsundersøkelser av historiske bygninger kan man ønske seg en god tilgang til historisk informasjon om konstruksjoner, materialer, tidligere bruk, eksponering og eventuelle skader.

Dessverre er slik informasjon sjelden tilgjengelig. Fordi både muggsopp, råtesopp og treskadeinsekter har spesielle krav til økologiske forhold, er etablerte skader et resultat av tidligere langtidseksponering av fukt- og temperaturforhold. Identifikasjon av forekommende arter kan dermed gi avgjørende innsikt om skader. Hvis man kan tolke skadene i henhold til disse forholdene, kan man forstå årsakene til skadeutvikling og dermed også forebygge ytterligere skadeutvikling. Min erfaring er at forutsetningen for biologisk nedbrytning av treverk er universell. Takket være dette kan man i prinsippet vurdere skader fra polområdene til tropene på den samme måten.

De mikroklimatiske forholdene og aktivitet av ulike biologiske skadegjørere har vært undersøkt på fire ulike steder i Norge: Bryggen i Bergen, Lærdalsøyri/Otternes, Røros og Svalbard i forbindelse med ulike prosjekter i løpet av en 20 års periode. Målet med disse studiene har vært å avklare hvordan mikroklimaet påvirker sopp- og insektskader i verneverdige bygninger og trekonstruksjoner – både med hensyn til de faktiske skader og de praktiske konsekvenser skader forårsaker. Fokus har vært på de to mest avgjørende fysiske faktorene for biologiske skadegjørere, temperatur og fuktighet. 

Denne avhandlingen beskriver hvordan mikroklimaet påvirker biologisk nedbrygning av treverk i historiske bygninger. Det er en forhåpning om at disse resultatene og erfaringene bidrar til å forbedre denne kunnskapen i ulike fagmiljøer.