# Evaluating Resilience and Thermal Comfort in Mediterranean Dwellings: A Level(s) Framework Approach
## 5 Conclusions  
This research highlights the urgent need for resilient housing solutions in urban environments, particularly in the European Union, where a significant portion of the population lives in inadequate housing conditions. The findings underline the construction sector's critical role in addressing energy poverty, improving thermal comfort, and promoting sustainable living environments.  
Resilience and adaptability: The evaluation of the pilot cases, CS-1 and CS-2, reveals that both homes face unique structural rigidity and spatial configuration challenges. The proposed comprehensive retrofit strategies aim to improve flexibility and adaptability, allowing these homes better to meet the changing needs of diverse tenant populations. By incorporating movable panels and additional facilities, the designs promote a more dynamic use of space, which is essential in modern housing.  
Thermal comfort for vulnerable populations: The thermal comfort analysis, particularly for elderly residents, indicates a significant gap between current housing standards and the actual comfort needs of this demographic. The comfort range established for Malaga does not align with the EN-16798 standard, suggesting that many older people may experience discomfort due to inadequate heating and cooling practices. This finding emphasizes the need to re-evaluate thermal comfort parameters to ensure the well-being of vulnerable populations.  
Economic feasibility: The cost-recovery assessment demonstrates that the proposed resilient configurations provide substantial environmental benefits and present a financially viable model for property owners. With relatively short payback periods for retrofit investments, these configurations can generate higher returns while contributing to reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions.  
Policy alignment: The research aligns with broader EU commitments, including the Urban Agenda 2030 and the European Green Deal, which advocate for sustainable urban development practices. By integrating the Level(s) framework into design and retrofit processes, the construction sector can effectively contribute to achieving these policy goals.  
Conceptualization, C.D.-L., C.A.P.-R., A.S.-J. and A.B.-P.; formal analysis, C.D.-L., C.A.P.-R., A.S.-J. and A.B.-P.; funding acquisition, [PERSON] and [PERSON]; investigation, [PERSON], [PERSON] and [PERSON]; methodology, [PERSON], [PERSON] and [PERSON]; project administration, [PERSON]; resources, [PERSON] and [PERSON]; software, [PERSON] and [PERSON]; supervision, [PERSON] and [PERSON]; validation, [PERSON] and [PERSON]; visualization, [PERSON]; writing--original draft, [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON] and [PERSON]; writing--review and editing, [PERSON]. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
This research was supported by Grant FJC2921-014411-I, supported by the project PID2021-124539 OB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by \"ERDF A way of making Europe\", project TED2021-129347B-C21 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the \"European Union NextGenerationEU/PRT\". It was conducted under the [PERSON] postdoctoral contract awarded to [PERSON] at the University of Seville (contract reference US-23442-M). Additionally, this study is part of the I + D+I Project (PAIDI 2020) titled \"Neighbourhood Cooperatives of Older People for Active Ageing in Place: Implications for Reducing Loneliness in Large Cities\" (PY20_00411), funded by the Consejeria de Transformacion Economica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades of the Junta de Andalucia.  
**Informed Consent Statement:** Not applicable.  
**Data Availability Statement:** The original contributions presented in this study are included in the article. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.  
**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflicts of interest.