An analysis of indoor environment evaluation for The Springs development in Dubai, UAE

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuloh Jung ◽  
Jihad Awad ◽  
Naglaa Sami Abdelaziz Mahmoud ◽  
Muna Salameh
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Sick Building Syndrome ◽  
Living Room ◽  
Design Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Housing Projects ◽  
Wide Range

Purpose This study aims to evaluate The Springs’ indoor environment, one of the iconic townhouse-type residential buildings in Dubai, more efficiently for the integrated evaluation of the indoor environment with the weights of indoor environmental factors such as thermal, indoor air, lighting and acoustic. Design/methodology/approach The weights of the indoor environment factors were derived for the integrated evaluation to reflect the residents’ preferences. Based on the post-occupancy evaluation (P.O.E.) survey, the weights according to the gender, age group and indoor spaces followed a comparison and analytical processes. Findings This paper had found the priority of residents’ needs for each space in The Springs project. In summer, thermal comfort was the most important factor for living room and the master bedroom. In winter, the priority for living room and kitchen was the indoor air quality. Research limitations/implications As it is the first research survey for housing project in Dubai, it needs to be extended to other housing projects in Dubai. To increase the reliability of the weights calculated through this study and the applicability of the integrated indoor environmental evaluation, more in-depth P.O.E. survey is needed with wide range of survey participants. Social implications This paper will help developing guidelines for future renovation based on the comparative analysis among thermal comfort, acoustic comfort, lighting comfort and indoor air comfort. Originality/value This paper is the first attempt to analyze the condition of early housing projects in Dubai. The data can be used to increase not only the design quality and marketability of housing projects in Dubai but also the condition of residents’ health status to avoid sick building syndrome from approximately 20 years old buildings.

Design quality assessment of campus facilities through post occupancy evaluation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad A. Hassanain ◽  
Muizz O. Sanni-Anibire ◽  
Abubakar Sadiq Mahmoud
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Design Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Post Occupancy Evaluation ◽  
Air Ventilation ◽  
Academic Buildings ◽  
Surrounding Areas

PurposeThis study aims to present the design quality assessment of facilities on a university campus in Saudi Arabia.Design/methodology/approachForty-nine standardized design quality indicators (DQIs) have been adopted for the study. These were classified into relevant categories including: “Indoor Environment, Safety and Maintenance,” “Furniture, Utilities and Spaces” and “Privacy, Appearance and Surrounding Areas.” A web-based survey was used to obtain responses from 207 respondents. The survey was designed based on a Likert scale of satisfaction and was analyzed to obtain the satisfaction indices (SI) as well as Design Quality Scores (DQS).FindingsOccupants were dissatisfied the “level of noise generated from within the space,” “amount of natural light from daylighting systems” and “ease of control of air ventilation systems” among others. The DQS revealed that residential buildings had the highest design quality in terms of “Indoor Environment, Safety, and Maintenance” and “Privacy, Appearance and Surrounding Areas.” Administrative buildings had the best design quality in terms of “furniture, utilities and spaces.” Academic buildings had the lowest design quality in terms of “Indoor Environment, Safety and Maintenance” and “Privacy, Appearance and Surrounding Areas.”Originality/valueUltimately, the study demonstrated how the adoption of a standard set of DQIs could facilitate the standardization of design quality evaluation in the property sector as well as identify best practices through comparison and benchmarking.

scholarly journals Post occupancy evaluation of thermal comfort and indoor air quality of office spaces in a tropical green campus building

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurul Hayati Yong ◽  
Qi Jie Kwong ◽  
Kok Seng Ong ◽  
Dejan Mumovic
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Post Occupancy Evaluation ◽  
Green Campus ◽  
Campus Building

Purpose As suggested in many previous studies, good thermal comfort and indoor air quality (IAQ) played a significant role in ensuring human comfort, health and productivity in buildings. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the thermal comfort and IAQ conditions of open-plan office areas within a green-certified campus building through a post occupancy evaluation. Design/methodology/approach Using the field measurement method, environmental dataloggers were positioned at three office areas during office hours to measure the levels of thermal comfort parameters, CO2 concentrations and the supply air rates. At the same time, questionnaires were distributed to the available office staff to obtain their perception of the indoor environment. The findings were then compared with the recommended environmental comfort ranges and used to calculate the thermal comfort indices. Findings Results show that the physical parameters were generally within acceptable ranges of a local guideline. The neutral temperature based on the actual mean vote at these areas was 23.9°C, which is slightly lower than the predicted thermal neutrality of 25.2°C. From the surveyed findings, about 81% of the occupants found their thermal environment comfortable with high adaptation rates. A preference for cooler environments was found among the workers. Meanwhile, the air quality was perceived to be clean by a majority of the respondents, and the mean ventilation rate per person was identified to be sufficient. Research limitations/implications This study focussed on the thermal environment and air quality at selected office spaces only. More work should be carried out in other regularly occupied workplaces and study areas of the green educational building to allow a more thorough analysis of the indoor air conditions. Practical implications This paper highlights on the thermal comfort and air quality conditions of the air-conditioned office spaces in a green-certified campus building and is intended to assist the building services engineers in effective air conditioning control. The findings reported are useful for thermal comfort, IAQ and subsequently energy efficiency improvements in such building type where adjustments on the air temperature set-point can be considered according to the actual requirements. This study will be extended to other green campus spaces for a more exhaustive analysis of the indoor environment. Originality/value There is limited information pertaining to the environmental comfort levels in offices of green campus in the tropics. This study is, therefore, one of the earliest attempts to directly explore the thermal comfort and IAQ conditions in such workplace using both on-site physical measurement and questionnaire survey.

Investigation of indoor air quality and thermal comfort condition in airport terminal buildings

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehmet Kadri Akyüz ◽  
Hasim Kafali ◽  
Onder Altuntas
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Airport Terminal ◽  
Airport Terminals

Purpose This paper aims to measure the thermal comfort conditions and indoor air quality parameters, through on-site measurements taken in the areas mostly occupied by the passengers and airport staff. Terminal buildings consist of areas with various functions. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning requirements vary from area to area, thus leading to challenges in the management of indoor environment quality. Therefore, the study focuses on investigating the indoor environment conditions in various areas of the terminal buildings. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the thermal comfort and indoor air quality were evaluated based on the parameters [CO2 concentration, relative humidity, temperature, predicted mean vote (PMV) and predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD)] collected for summer 2019 from different zones inside the International Dalaman Airport terminal building located in the southwest of Turkey. The measurements were performed in the areas mostly occupied by the airport staff and passengers (check-in area, security control areas, international departure lounge, domestic departure lounge and baggage claim hall). Findings As a result of the study, it was observed that the CO2 concentration was 480–965 ppm, the relative humidity was 51.9–75.8% and the temperature was in the range of 23.9°C–28.3°C inside the airport terminal. The PMV values were determined to be in the range of −0.23 to 0.67, and the PPD values 5–15%, which are used to measure the thermal comfort conditions. Originality/value There has been limited study on the determination of the indoor air quality in airport terminals and the investigation of the thermal comfort conditions. However, in this study, indoor air quality and thermal comfort conditions were determined by on-site measurements in the five mostly occupied areas by passengers and employees in the terminal building.

scholarly journals An investigation of indoor air quality, thermal comfort and sick building syndrome symptoms in UK energy efficient homes

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grainne McGill ◽  
Lukumon O. Oyedele ◽  
Keith McAllister
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Sick Building Syndrome ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sick Building

Purpose – Concern of the deterioration of indoor environmental quality as a result of energy efficient building design strategies is growing. Apprehensions of the effect of airtight, super insulated envelopes, the reduction of infiltration, and the reliance on mechanical systems to provide adequate ventilation (air supply) is promoting emerging new research in this field. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of an indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort investigation in UK energy efficient homes, through a case study investigation. Design/methodology/approach – The case study dwellings consisted of a row of six new-build homes which utilize mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) systems, are built to an average airtightness of 2m3/m2/hr at 50 Pascal’s, and constructed without a central heating system. Physical IAQ measurements and occupant interviews were conducted during the summer and winter months over a 24-hour period, to gain information on occupant activities, perception of the interior environment, building-related health and building use. Findings – The results suggest inadequate IAQ and perceived thermal comfort, insufficient use of purge ventilation, presence of fungal growth, significant variances in heating patterns, occurrence of sick building syndrome symptoms and issues with the MVHR system. Practical implications – The findings will provide relevant data on the applicability of airtight, mechanically ventilated homes in a UK climate, with particular reference to IAQ. Originality/value – IAQ data of this nature is essentially lacking, particularly in the UK context. The findings will aid the development of effective sustainable design strategies that are appropriate to localized climatic conditions and sensitive to the health of building occupants.

The institutional challenges of scaling-up housing retrofit: the Swiss cities of Basel and Sion

Facilities ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 780-798
Author(s):  
Arian Mahzouni
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Energy Supply ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Housing System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range

Purpose This paper aims to discuss the nexus between two societal (sub) systems of housing and energy supply to shed new light on the key institutional barriers to socio-technical energy transition in the built environment. The key research question is to explore if and how key patterns of institutional elements associated with energy retrofit and energy supply are combined, co-evolved and played out in the housing system, leading to an alternative energy transition pathway in the built environment. Design/methodology/approach A comparative case study of residential buildings in the Swiss cities of Basel and Sion is conducted to map retrofitting policies and practices in a wide range of buildings (e.g. multi-family and single family) that each requires a particular constellation of institutions, actors and artefacts. Findings The key finding is that the regulative institutions support energy transition in each urban form/housing type. However, the co-evolution with normative and cultural-cognitive institutions does not play out very clearly in the housing system. One reason is that the norms and cultures are deeply rooted in the practices exercised by business community and households and therefore they need a longer time frame to adapt to a new regulation. Research limitations/implications The policies and actions to increase the rate of housing retrofit are discussed in the specific socio-political context of Switzerland. Therefore, the results of this study might not be applied in other contexts with different conditions, limiting the possibility for analytical generalization. The case study can generate only context-specific knowledge, which might be valuable only to cities with similar conditions. This paper addresses theoretical, methodological and policy challenges in scaling-up retrofit projects by taking a holistic and integrated approach to the systems of housing and energy supply. Practical implications It would have been necessary to find out how the introduction and enforcement of new energy policies and regulations (regulative institutions) have changed the norms and building practices (normative institutions) used by actors from housing industry and the attitudes and energy consumption behaviour of the households (cultural-cognitive institutions). Nevertheless, information about normative and cultural-cognitive institutions require more primary data in the form of interviews with organizations and households, respectively, which goes beyond the scope and resources of this study. Originality/value Insights from different strands of literature (institutions and sustainability transition) are combined to understand if and how retrofitting practices go along with other elements of urban sustainability including architectural, technical, socio-cultural and economic factors.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Effects of the Humidity Level-Based Auto-Controlled Centralized Exhaust Ventilation Systems on Thermal Comfort of Multi-Family Residential Buildings in South Korea

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
pp. 4791
Author(s):  
Kwag ◽  
Park ◽  
Kim ◽  
Kim
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Humidity Level ◽  
Exhaust Ventilation ◽  
Air Tightness ◽  
Ventilation Systems

Building air-tightness has been increased to make energy efficient buildings. However, various indoor air quality issues can be caused by high building air-tightness because it allows low air and moisture transmission through building envelop. In order to solve and prevent these issues, mechanical ventilation systems can be used to control the indoor humidity level. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the performances of the Relative Humidity (RH)-sensor based auto-controlled centralized exhaust ventilation systems to manage indoor air quality and thermal comfort of multi-family residential buildings in South Korea. A series of field tests were performed for different target zones and for various moisture source scenarios. As a result, it was found that the auto-controlled centralized exhaust ventilation systems were able to control indoor air quality and to maintain the zones thermal comfort faster than the baseline cases that did not operate exhaust vents. The results presented in this paper can show the potential and the feasibility of the auto-controlled centralized exhaust ventilation systems for multi-family residential buildings in South Korea. It is expected that the results presented in this paper would be useful for building owners, engineers, and architects when designing building systems.

Assessment of user satisfaction in an intelligent office building in Istanbul

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-340
Author(s):  
Merve Aksoy ◽  
Semra Sema Uzunoglu
Keyword(s):  
Indoor Air ◽  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Comfort Level ◽  
Office Building ◽  
User Requirements ◽  
Design Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Shed Light

Purpose The purpose of this study is to evaluate an intelligent office building based on the post occupation evaluation (POE) criteria in relation to physical and psychosocial user needs. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using a questionnaire. The first group of questions was to determine demographic information; the second group of questions includes questions, which aim to measure the comfort level of the building users. The questionnaire also includes open-ended questions on other comments and suggestions. The data of the research were evaluated with the SPSS program and frequency and percentage distributions were determined. A total of 110 employees participated in the survey. Findings The results showed that the participants were generally satisfied with the design quality, indoor air quality and building support services quality of the building, while there were also participants who report dissatisfaction about the floor covering materials and ventilation of the spaces. At the end of the study, attention was drawn to the importance of POE in connection with user requirements. Originality/value It is considered that this study will shed light on future works by developing a perspective on intelligent office buildings in terms of user requirements and research process with the results obtained.

scholarly journals Development of Thermal Comfort-Based Controller and Potential Reduction of the Cooling Energy Consumption of a Residential Building in Kuwait

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 3348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaesung Park ◽  
Taeyeon Kim ◽  
Chul-sung Lee
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Electric Energy ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Influential Factor ◽  
Electric Energy Consumption ◽  
Residential Electricity ◽  
The Government

In Kuwait, where the government subsidizes approximately 95% of residential electricity bills, most of the country’s energy consumption is for residential use. In particular, air-conditioning (AC) systems for cooling, which are used throughout the year, are responsible for residential electric energy consumption. This study aimed to reduce the amount of energy consumed for cooling purposes by developing a thermal comfort-based controller. Our study commenced by using a simulation model to investigate the possibility of energy reduction when using the predicted mean vote (PMV) for optimal control. The result showed that control optimization would enable the cooling energy consumption to be reduced by 33.5%. The influence of six variables on cooling energy consumption was then analyzed to develop a thermal comfort-based controller. The analysis results showed that the indoor air temperature was the most influential factor, followed by the mean radiant temperature, the metabolic rate, and indoor air velocity. The thermal comfort-based controller-version 1 (TCC-V1) was developed based on the analysis results and experimentally evaluated to determine the extent to which the use of the controller would affect the energy consumed for cooling. The experiments showed that the implementation of TCC-V1 control made it possible to reduce the electric energy consumption by 39.5% on a summer representative day. The results of this study indicate that it is possible to improve indoor thermal comfort while saving energy by using the thermal comfort-based controller in residential buildings in Kuwait.

Ecological houses of Southern Kazakhstan using renewable energy sources

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ardasher Namazbay Yussupov ◽  
Akmaral Ardasherovna Yussupova
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range

PurposeThe purpose of this article discusses the design of underground eco-houses using a dome structure of light construction while taking into account the historical experience of the development of the local population. This article considered the traditions of folk architecture and modern sophistication in the creation of energy-efficient eco-houses in foreign countries in the context of architecture and construction of affordable residential homes for the local population.Design/methodology/approachThe research presented in this paper was motivated by the need for developing agro-tourism facilities in hard-to-reach areas of the Silk Road in Southern Kazakhstan causes the construction of eco-houses built using local construction materials. Since ancient times in Southern Kazakhstan and during seasonal migrations in yurts of light construction, people have lived in mud-brick houses deep in the ground. Along with architectural and artistic solutions in building construction, great importance was attached to saving material resources, labour costs and achieving heat stability of residential buildings.FindingsIn the architectural and planning solution of the eco¬-house, progressive directions of construction of agrotechnical structures using renewable energy sources are adopted. Particular importance was given to the choice of the construction site on an elevated area nearby historical monuments and a favourable season for the construction of eco-houses with considering the natural and climatic characteristics of rural areas of Southern Kazakhstan.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper discussed the issues of insulation, ventilation and improving the eco-house microclimate comfort using local building materials. Improving the architectural and artistic expressiveness of the eco-house in terms of the tradition of folk architecture was also explicitly discussed in this paper.Practical implicationsTables with the justification of expediency of construction of economical eco-houses in natural and climatic conditions of Kazakhstan and Central Asia are provided. The results help to improve the energy efficiency of eco-houses in Kazakhstan by using renewable energy sources.Social implicationsSocial benefits are associated with the use of local raw materials. Eco-houses built from traditional building materials can become accessible to a wide range of people and stimulate the development of small businesses. This may be associated with the construction of eco-houses to serve visiting tourists in remote picturesque oases, as well as the manufacture of dome structures, felt products and the preparation of reed panels and so on.Originality/valueThe thermotechnical characteristics of the region's ground energy are given, which can significantly save the cost of heating the eco-house. Solutions for optimal insolation, ventilation of the eco-house are provided, taking into account the natural and climatic conditions of Southern Kazakhstan.

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