The Dynamics of Comfort and Awareness in Terrace House Renovations

Abstract

House renovation is a common practice in Malaysia as homeowners modify their houses to meet changing family needs, lifestyle preferences, and aspirations for more attractive and luxurious living spaces. Despite their spatial limitations, terrace houses remain the most common housing type in mass residential developments. However, comfort-related factors are often overlooked during renovation works, affecting the physical, psychological, and environmental well-being of occupants. This study investigates the relationship between occupants’ awareness of comfort and the factors influencing comfort in post-renovation terrace houses. The objectives are to evaluate occupants’ awareness of comfort, to identify the key aspects that contribute to comfort in post-renovation environments, and to examine the relationship between comfort awareness and perceived comfort factors. Primary data were collected through questionnaire surveys conducted at Rancangan Perumahan Rakyat (RPR) Fasa 2, Jalan Astana, Kuching. SPSS and Microsoft Excel were utilised to facilitate data processing and statistical computations. The findings show that “Adequate Natural Lighting” recorded the highest Relative Importance Index (RII) value of 0.838, indicating a high level of occupant awareness regarding its contribution to comfort. This was followed by “Ventilation” with an RII value of 0.832. Among the comfort aspects assessed, “Movement” ranked highest, while “Functionality” and “Thermal Comfort” shared the second-highest RII value of 0.820. Chi-square analysis revealed a strong and statistically significant relationship between occupants’ awareness levels and the factors influencing comfort in post-renovation environments. The findings provide valuable insights for housing developers, designers, and policymakers in addressing future spatial and comfort requirements in terrace housing developments. The study also supports affordable housing agencies in incorporating personalisation features into future housing designs, in line with the first objective of Malaysia’s National Housing Policy to provide quality and affordable homes for all.