The heating of buildings and the mental health of their inhabit-ants: five buildings in Paris

Abstract

Today, whether condominiums or social housing, Parisian buildings are concerned by work programs undertaken within the framework of the Climate Plan initiated by the City of Paris. This renewal affects the social life of the buildings, which has been consolidated over the years. While a building is built by materials and populations, it is also the result of a history, from its construction to its daily maintenance (or degradation). Our assumption is that people who have no control over their living space are likely to suffer more mental health problems, in most cases without knowing exactly why, due to a lack of knowledge about the causes or health literacy in their living space. The inability to adapt housing or to resolve these situations independently makes us wonder: How can residents' mental health be influenced by their ability to control their living space? To show this, we will study five exemplary buildings that are affected by the tension between factors that generate dissatisfaction, bad mood, mental stress, anxiety and depression, which have different effects on mental health.