About the Project

About CRLiH

Climate Resilient Energy-Efficient Low-income Housing in Egypt — understanding the challenge and building solutions for vulnerable communities.

Overview

Project Overview

CRLiH — Climate Resilient Energy-Efficient Low-income Housing in Egypt — is a multi-year research initiative running from 2025 to 2027.

The project investigates the impacts of climate change on the performance of low-income housing and the well-being of their occupants. Through rigorous field research, data collection and stakeholder engagement, we develop evidence-based retrofit strategies designed to improve thermal comfort, reduce energy consumption, and safeguard public health in Egypt's most vulnerable communities.

Our slogan — "Improving Comfort, Enhancing Lives" — reflects our commitment to making real, measurable differences in people's day-to-day lives.

Meet the Team Our Impacts

Project at a Glance

Key facts & figures

Project Duration2025 – 2027
Host InstitutionAin Shams University
Focus CountryEgypt 🇪🇬
Primary GoalClimate-Resilient Housing
Target CommunityLow-Income Residents
Core Objectives4
2Years Research
5+Partners
10Households
10+Experts
4Objectives
2025Launch Year
Direction

Vision & Mission

Our Vision

To enhance low-income housing by making it climate-resilient, energy-efficient, and thermally comfortable, thereby improving the health and well-being of residents across Egypt.

Our Mission

To investigate the impacts of climate change on housing performance and occupant well-being, and develop evidence-based retrofit strategies that improve thermal comfort, energy efficiency, and public health in vulnerable communities.

Goals

Aims & Objectives

Our research is driven by specific aims to fill knowledge gaps and concrete objectives to guide our project.

Aims:

CRLiH aims to fill a knowledge gap in understanding:

The effects of Climate Change (CC) on Thermal Comfort (TC) and Building Energy Performance (EP)

The correlations of CC, TC, EP, and occupants' behavior on health issues

The implications of Occupants' Behaviour (OB), Design, and Building Fabric on the risk of overheating

Objectives:

Monitor climatic conditions, TC, and EP in low-income housing

Explore the correlations between building design, construction, TC, and EP

Assess the effects of CC on EP, overheating, and residents' health

Develop and test evidence-based technical & behavioural interventions.

Schedule

Project Timeline

Key milestones and phases across the 2025–2027 research programme.

1
Phase 1

April 2025

Project Inception

Project was Lunched

2
Phase 2

July – August 2025

Summer Data Collection

Summer data logger deployment, residents' survey, and data monitoring visits to Al-Asmarat.

3
Phase 3

September 2025

Partner Visit to Egypt

Three-day visit by the PI (UK) to Egypt, including a site visit, a webinar, an introductory presentation for the project, and a research team discussion.

4
Phase 4

September - October 2025

Summer Data Analysis

Analysis of summer data and questionnaire responses using CIBSE standards

5
Phase 5

October 2025

Thermal imaging

Thermal imaging analysis in Al-Asmarat.

6
Phase 6

January 2026

Winter Data Collection

Winter data logger deployment, residents' survey, and data monitoring visits to Al-Asmarat.

7
Phase 7

February - March 2026

Winter Data Analysis

Analysis of winter data and questionnaire responses using CIBSE standards.

8
Phase 8

6 May 2026

Retrofit Strategies Workshop 1, ASU

Roundtable discussion workshop with experts and industry engineers at the Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

9
Phase 9

21 May 2026

ICCAE'17 Conference

Participation in the ICCAE'17 Conference with a paper titled "Occupant Behaviour as a Climate Adaptation Mechanism in Low-Income Housing: Evidence from Al-Asmarat Housing Project in Cairo, Egypt."

10
Phase 10

June 2026

Retrofit Strategies Workshop 2, UEL

Discussion workshop with experts, master's students, and academic staff from the University of East London, UK.

11
Phase 11

June 2026

Egyptian Team Visit to UK

Research team discussion and project follow-up, followed by a tour of the University of East London (UEL).

12
Phase 12

August 2026

ASEJ Journal Article

Publication of the First Journal Paper in the Ain Shams Engineering Journal Titled "Health under Heat: Assessment of Overheating in Cairo's Low-Income Housing"

Support

Funding & Partnership

CRLiH is made possible through the support of leading national and international partners committed to sustainable development.

The Partner Universities and Funders

Ain Shams University

Partner University

University of East London

Partner University

Science and Technology Development Fund

Funder / Collaborator

British Council

Funder / Collaborator

Project Partners & Collaborators

New Urban Communities Authority Egypt

Strategic Partner

UDC 5+

Strategic Partner

Explore Our Research Team

Meet the dedicated multidisciplinary experts driving the CRLiH research agenda forward.

Meet the Team View Activities