EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (IEQ) PERFORMANCE IN HOSPITAL BUILDINGS IN NIGERIA

2015 ◽  
Vol 77 (14) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pontip Stephen Nimlyat ◽  
Mohd Zin Kandar ◽  
Eka Sediadi
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Hospital ◽  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Sound Intensity ◽  
Building Design ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Hospital Ward ◽  
Intensity Level ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Hospital Building ◽  
Plateau State

This study investigates and summarises the results of physical measurement of the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in hospital building wards in Plateau State, Nigeria comparing two hospital settings. The results indicate that the mean indoor air temperature in the case study hospital ward buildings exceeded the range of 23-26oC as recommended by international standards. The temperature levels in the teaching hospital ward buildings were relatively lower than what was obtained in the specialist hospital whose ward buildings lack proper ventilation. The amount of daylight requirement on an average were below 300Lux in the specialist hospital whose façade orientation and window-wall-ratio (WWR) could not allow for maximum sunlight penetration, while it was above 300Lux in the teaching hospital. However, the sound intensity level in both hospital ward buildings ranged between 52.7dBA and 71.3dBA. This study therefore recommend that, hospital building design or retrofitting should employed common strategies towards increasing ventilation and daylight with minimal energy consumption.  

scholarly journals Empirical investigation of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in a hospital building in Merida Yucatan, Mexico

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3.11) ◽  
pp. 245
Author(s):  
Fanny C. Cocom Martínez ◽  
. .
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Air Conditioning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Indoor Environments ◽  
Small Hospital ◽  
Air Conditioning System ◽  
Hospital Building ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Temperature Levels

This research summarizes the result of physical measurement of the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in two different hospital rooms, from a small hospital in Merida Yucatan, Mexico. The results show wide differences in the established parameters for this evaluation and the measures obtained. The temperature levels exceed the range of 20-26ºC in both rooms, considering that bothrooms have air conditioning system (ISO 7730, 2005). The levels of Relative Humidity also exceed in more than 20% of the permitted range. The amount of CO2 is registered in higher levels when the air conditioning system is on, this is due to the lack of circulation and proper ventilation (ASHRAE 62.1, 2016). About Light Intensity showing the difference between rooms, is represented in the obtained results in the established parameters and their physical characteristics (NOM-025-STPS, 2008). Optimum conditions in indoor environments should result in health, well-being and comfort, both in terms of working life and in the areas where healthcare is concerned. The current society demands safe, clean and well-conditioned places, for which it is necessary to integrate perceptions and demands of the users to reach an optimal balance between social and legislative standards.  

scholarly journals The Impact of Indoor Environmental Quality of Green Buildings on Occupants' Health and Satisfaction: A systematic review

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neda Mirzaei ◽  
Hamed Kamelnia ◽  
Seyed Gholamreza Islami ◽  
Saeid Kamyabi ◽  
Seyedeh Negar Assadi
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Final Analysis ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: The main benefits of green buildings for energy and water conservation have been investigated and well recognized in previous studies. However, indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and human health benefits of green buildings have not been examined comprehensively. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review over the current status of green and non- green buildings on their occupants’ health and satisfaction. Method: A systematic search was conducted throughout the following databases: Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Springer. We reviewed 690 articles that examined the relationship between buildings and health. In total, after excluding the irrelevant titles and non-­English articles, 40 papers were included in the final analysis. Articles that evaluated IEQ factors and occupants’ health through surveys from 2005 to 2018 years were selected for investigation. Results: The most important result of this study was identification of important factors in IEQ, including building design, aesthetics, and ergonomics, which have been less evaluated in previous research. Contrary to our assumption, the results of several studies indicated a further decline in IEQ parameters in buildings with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED, USA) and Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM, Europe) certification. However, performance improvements were reported in green buildings located in Asia (especially Singapore and Taiwan). Conclusion: According to this systematic review, we cannot claim that occupants of the green buildings enjoy higher IEQ, satisfaction, or health, compared with the occupants of non-green buildings.

scholarly journals Building performance evaluation: Balancing energy and indoor environmental quality in a UK school building

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nishesh Jain ◽  
Esfand Burman ◽  
Craig Robertson ◽  
Samuel Stamp ◽  
Clive Shrubsole ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Performance Evaluation ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Building Performance ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Performance Gap

There is a policy-driven focus, at present, on improving the energy performance of buildings. However, energy-related issues alone do not capture the full impact of buildings on occupants and the wider environment. The performance of a building also includes occupant wellbeing and indoor environmental quality. Specifically, in schools, indoor environmental quality (thermal comfort, indoor air quality, lighting and acoustics) is an important aspect. Additionally, the issue of the ‘performance gap’, generally focused on energy, also affects indoor environmental quality parameters and needs to be addressed holistically. This paper reports on a holistic building performance evaluation covering aspects of energy, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, lighting and acoustics. It assesses the performance issues and inter-relationships between energy and indoor environmental quality in a recently built school campus in London. Based on the evidence collated from this case study and supplementary literature, the endemic issues and constraints within the construction industry are explored, such as inappropriate design calculations and resistance to new low-carbon technologies. Further, lessons for improved performance in the design, operation and maintenance of schools are highlighted such as factoring in the changing building use trends during design and the significance of optimal operations and maintenance of building systems for better energy and indoor environmental quality performance. This study shows that if the building design focus primarily remains on energy, unintended consequence of indoor environmental quality underperformance may occur where there are conflicts between energy and indoor environmental quality objectives. An integrated approach to building performance can help address this issue. Practical application: There are often conflicts between energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) objectives in building design and operation. Most building performance evaluations are primarily focused on one set of these performance criteria. This building performance evaluation was done with an integrated energy and IEQ perspective. The study identifies the causes of underperformance in energy and IEQ in a recently built school in London. Some of the findings from this study provide lessons that are relevant across the industry for the delivery of low-carbon and healthy buildings. These lessons include methods to further strengthen the policy frameworks and design protocols along with overall improvements in the processes followed during design, construction and operation of schools and other non-domestic buildings. The paper can also inform building designers, contractors and facility managers about the ways to reduce the performance gap and achieve energy targets without unintended consequences for indoor environment.

Study of indoor environmental quality and occupant overall comfort and productivity in LEED- and non-LEED–certified healthcare settings

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 544-560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaodong Xuan
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Healthcare Facility ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Performance Factors ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Occupant Comfort ◽  
The Usa

The study combined quantitative and qualitative approaches, in terms of both staff perception and facility manager perspective, to evaluate the effectiveness of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of LEED–certified facilities and relationship between IEQ and occupant comfort and productivity in healthcare settings in the USA climate zones 2 and 3. A multiple-methods approach combining a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interview was tested for effective post-occupancy evaluation. The study compared one non-LEED healthcare facility with five LEED certified healthcare buildings and examined which variable(s) had significant relationship with comfort and productivity by surveying 249 occupants and interviewing six facility managers in six healthcare settings. The results showed that five LEED–certified healthcare settings were superior to one non-LEED facility in most of building performance factors. Building design, temperature comfort, image presented to visitors, use of space, control over noise and ability to meet occupants’ needs were significant predictors for overall comfort. Lighting overall, temperature comfort and image presented to visitors had a significant positive relationship with perceived productivity. Only one non-LEED hospital was selected and some buildings had small response rate, the results should be interpreted with caution.

PERFORMANCE OF A GREEN BUILDING'S INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ON BUILDING OCCUPANTS IN SOUTH AFRICA

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clinton Aigbavboa ◽  
Wellington Didibhuku Thwala
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
The Body ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Health Implications

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is important to the health, comfort, and well-being of building occupants. Unsatisfactory IEQ is associated with a number of phenomena, most notably, sick building syndrome (SBS), building-related illnesses (BRIs), and multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), which have major negative effects on productivity. However, green building investors (owners) are not only concerned about reducing the negative impact of their buildings on the environment, but also about the potentially negative impact green buildings can have on their employees' productivity. This research sets out to address, through a questionnaire survey in South Africa, what constitutes the determinants of green building occupants' satisfaction with the IEQ elements of a green building and the health implications of a building's IEQ on the building occupants. Data analysis (involving a one-sample t-test) reveals some interesting findings in regard to what constitutes the determinants of green building occupants' satisfaction with the IEQ elements and the health implications of the IEQ elements of a five-star green rated building in South Africa. Findings from the survey revealed that the occupants of the building were not satisfied with the green building's IEQ, most especially the ineffectiveness of blocking natural and artificial lighting. Also, it was revealed that the IEQ with particular reference to the noise level and ventilation of the space has some serious health implications for the building occupants. The occupants' evaluation revealed that the major health issues from which they suffer include fatigue, headache, common cold, coughing, and influenza, and these affect their productivity and performance. Since building occupants are a rich source of information about IEQ assessment and its effect on productivity, the study can be used to assess the performance of green buildings, identify areas needing improvement, and provide useful feedback to designers and operators about specific aspects of green building design features and operating strategies that need improvement. This study adds to the body of knowledge on green buildings' IEQ performance.

scholarly journals Building Performance Evaluation of a New Hospital Building in the UK: Balancing Indoor Environmental Quality and Energy Performance

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 115
Author(s):  
Nishesh Jain ◽  
Esfand Burman ◽  
Samuel Stamp ◽  
Clive Shrubsole ◽  
Roderic Bunn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Performance Evaluation ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Performance ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality

Hospitals are controlled yet complex ecosystems which provide a therapeutic environment that promotes healing, wellbeing and work efficiency for patients and staff. As these buildings accommodate the sick and vulnerable, occupant wellbeing and good indoor environmental quality (IEQ) that deals with indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal comfort, lighting and acoustics are important objectives. As the specialist nature of hospital function demands highly controlled indoor environments, this makes them energy intensive buildings due to the complex and varying specifications for their functions and operations. This paper reports on a holistic building performance evaluation covering aspects of indoor air quality, thermal comfort, lighting, acoustics, and energy use. It assesses the performance issues and inter-relationships between IEQ and energy in a new building on a hospital campus in the city of Bristol, United Kingdom. The empirical evidence collated from this case study and the feedback received from the hospital staff help identify the endemic issues and constraints related to hospital buildings, such as the need for robust ventilation strategies in hospitals in urban areas that mitigate the effect of indoor and outdoor air pollution and ensuring the use of planned new low-carbon technologies. Whilst the existing guidelines for building design provide useful instructions for the protection of hospital buildings against ingress of particulate matter from outdoors, more advanced filtration strategies may be required to enact chemical reactions required to control the concentration levels of pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and benzene. Further lessons for improved performance in operation and maintenance of hospitals are highlighted. These include ensuring that the increasingly available metering and monitoring data in new buildings, through building management systems, is used for efficient and optimal building operations for better IEQ and energy management. Overall, the study highlights the need for an integrated and holistic approach to building performance to ensure that healthy environments are provided while energy efficiency targets are met.

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