Keywords: Shared facilities, Affordable Housing, First-time buyers, Environmental
performance standards
Housing shortages present challenges for first-time buyers seeking affordable homes, and the
construction of such housing is increasingly complex. This underscores the necessity for
innovative solutions to enhance the availability of affordable housing options. This master’s
thesis explores the implementation of shared facilities within apartment buildings for firsttime buyers in the Netherlands as a potential strategy to improve both affordability and
environmental sustainability. To this end, a decision support tool has been developed, which
evaluates six shared facilities through a case study approach. This tool offers users valuable
insights into how shared facilities can affect both the environmental performance and
construction costs of a building compared to the base design, empowering them to make
informed design decisions. The findings from the case study will help assess the potential of
shared facilities to aid in the development of affordable housing that meets environmental
performance standards for first-time buyers.