scholarly journals A post-occupancy evaluation of the influence of wood on environmental comfort

BioResources ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 8704-8724
Author(s):  
Mélanie Watchman ◽  
André Potvin ◽  
Claude M. H. Demers
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Subjective Perception ◽  
Built Environments ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Post Occupancy Evaluation ◽  
Natural Building ◽  
Physical Comfort ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Wood Surfaces

Emerging research on the impact of interior finishes, more specifically wood, is beginning to shed light on informed design opportunities. As a natural building material with unique features, wood creates warm and pleasant atmospheres and has the potential of enhancing the well-being of occupants. This research attempted to better understand how occupants perceive wood in built environments and whether its indoor use influenced the satisfaction of occupants. The comfort of occupants may have been influenced by factors that were unrelated to the indoor environmental quality, which caused difficulties in comparing interior finishes in existing environments and limited research in this field. An exploratory comparative study, within a post-occupancy evaluation framework, investigated the subjective perception of occupants in relation to physical comfort factors. Thirty-six occupants completed a questionnaire to examine comfort satisfaction in a multifunctional room with extensive wooden interior finishes in comparison with a similar space without wood surfaces. The results indicated that occupants were more satisfied in the extensive wood surfaced room in terms of lighting, noise, and temperature, despite the similar environmental conditions in both spaces. Adjectives often used to describe the wood room included bright, pleasant, modern, and warm. Architects should consider the subjective qualities of wood when designing comfortable buildings.

scholarly journals Development of an ontology-based semantic building post-occupancy evaluation framework

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Yuanhong Zhao ◽  
Qingping Yang
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Systematic Evaluation ◽  
Building Performance ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Actual Performance ◽  
Post Occupancy Evaluation ◽  
Occupant Satisfaction

Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) is a systematic method to evaluate the actual building performance against the theoretical design intents after the building has been occupied for some time, to understand how the building is performing and to capture lessons learned. The POE offers an opportunity to investigate the buildings' actual performance based upon the occupants' satisfaction levels in the aspects of building overall design, indoor environmental quality, thermal comfort, etc. However, as the key part of POE, occupant satisfaction assessment (OSA) is a missing link in the building performance evaluation (BPE) domain, and there is not a systematic evaluation method for the OSA. Moreover, it is time-consuming and error-prone to conduct the OSA manually. This paper presents from the end-user's satisfaction perspective a semantic post-occupancy evaluation ontology (POEontology) to facilitate the occupant satisfaction assessment of buildings, with the ultimate aim of optimizing building operation guidelines, and improving occupants' use experience quality and well-being. An ontology-based knowledge model has been developed to capture the fragmented knowledge of building use satisfaction assessment in the POE domain, with the benchmarking evaluation rules encoded in Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL) to enable automatic rule-based rating and reasoning. This ontology model also enables the effective OSA-related knowledge retrieving and sharing, and promotes its implementation in the POE domain. A field study has been conducted based upon the Building Use Study (BUS) methodology to validate the proposed ontology framework.

The impact of a refurbishment programme on older people living in sheltered housing

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 54-64
Author(s):  
Zeibeda (Zeb) Sattar ◽  
Stephanie Wilkie ◽  
Jonathan Ling
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Realist Evaluation ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Sheltered Housing ◽  
Social Activities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Communal Areas ◽  
Physical Changes ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to explore residents' perceptions of a refurbishment programme to sheltered housing schemes and its impact on their well-being. Design/methodology/approach The methodology draws upon a realist evaluation framework. Four participatory appraisals (PAs) and 19 interviews with residents were conducted in the sheltered housing schemes. Ages of participants ranged from 50 to 99 years. Findings Two categories of residents were identified: healthy active older adults and older frail adults (or over 85+). Residents said their social and emotional well-being improved from the provision of indoor and outdoor communal areas. Older frail residents only accessed the new communal spaces when staff took them in their wheelchairs. The physical changes increased opportunities for social connections for residents. Conservatories and sensory gardens were most popular. Residents felt that structured activities in the new spaces and digital training would improve their social activities. Research limitations/implications The participatory methods spanned over an hour, and some residents felt too tired to complete the full session. Practical implications A practical limitation was that some sensory rooms were not fully completed at the time of the evaluation. Originality/value This paper adds the following: Perceptions of residents of a refurbishment programme in sheltered housing and the impact on their well-being. Perceptions of residents about social activities after a refurbishment programme. Perceptions of residents about the impact of physical changes to their sheltered housing schemes and impact on their internal accessibility to the improvements.

scholarly journals The Effect of Subjective Perception of Work in Relation to Occupational and Demographic Factors on the Mental Health of Polish Nurses

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krystyna Kowalczuk ◽  
Elżbieta Krajewska-Kułak ◽  
Marek Sobolewski
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Subjective Perception ◽  
Stress Reactions ◽  
Work Overload ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: Nursing is considered one of the most stressful professions in the world. The high emotional burden associated with excessive workload in qualitative and quantitative terms, exposure to existing and emerging infectious diseases, daily confrontation with the suffering of individuals and their families and low social support leads to the development of numerous stress reactions among nurses, resulting in the development of anxiety, insomnia, social dysfunction and depression. Indeed, somatic and mental stress-related disease rates are higher among nurses than in the general population.Aim: To determine the impact of subjective work characteristics on the mental health of nurses in relation to demographic and occupational factors.Material and method: The research was carried out among 558 nurses working in hospitals in Podlaskie Voivodeship, and used the Subjective Work Evaluation Questionnaire (SWEQ) and Goldberg's GHQ-28 Questionnaire.Results: As measured by SWEQ, and as self-assessed by means of the GHQ-28 questionnaire, overall stress negatively affects the nurses' health (R2 = 18.7%). Among the partial measures of the SWEQ questionnaire, work overload had strong and the lack of rewards, social relations and lack of support had weak negative effect on the overall mental health assessment of nurses (R2 = 19.2%). The responsibility measure was an exception that had a positive impact on the nurses' well-being. Among occupational and demographic factors, only higher education in relation to secondary education in interactions with the overall stress measure and unpleasant work conditions had a positive effect on the overall mental health self-assessment of nurses (R2 = 20.7%).Conclusions: The results of our study provide a clear message to the hospital management that improving the work organization and atmosphere of nurses by reducing perceived work overload and increasing the responsibility of nurses can have a positive impact on their mental health. Encouraging nurses to improve their education can result not only in an obvious improvement in staff qualifications, but also in better resistance to stressors in the workplace and, consequently, in better staff well-being. Both measures can have a positive impact on the quality of care provided by nurses and on reducing staff turnover.

scholarly journals The Impact of Money Attitudes on the Relationship Between Income and Financial Satisfaction

2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agata Gasiorowska
Keyword(s):  
Subjective Evaluation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Perception ◽  
Money Management ◽  
Financial Satisfaction ◽  
Net Income ◽  
Money Attitudes ◽  
Love Of Money ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Prior research has showed that the subjective perception of objective wealth might be affected by various individual difference variables, such as one’s love of money, level of desires, or materialistic inclinations. This paper examines an impact of attitudes towards money on the relation between personal net income and household income, and its subjective evaluation, measured as financial satisfaction and subjective economic well-being. The results of two studies revealed that the affective dimension of money attitudes (assigning the symbolic meaning to money) partially mediated the relationship between income and financial satisfaction. Moreover, the instrumental dimension of attitude towards money (individuals’ attitude toward money management) moderated this relationship: The relationship between the two was stronger for individuals highly concentrated on money management than for those with low scores on this factor.

Associations Among Home Indoor Environmental Quality Factors and Worker Health while Working from Home during COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Mohamad Awada ◽  
Burcin Becerik-Gerber ◽  
Gale Lucas ◽  
Shawn Roll
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Office Workers ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Indoor Temperature ◽  
Musculoskeletal Discomfort ◽  
Work Activities ◽  
Natural Lighting ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 virus forced office workers to conduct their daily work activities from home over an extended period. Given this unique situation, an opportunity emerged to study the satisfaction of office workers with indoor environmental quality (IEQ) factors of their houses where work activities took place and associate these factors with mental and physical health. We designed and administered a questionnaire that was open for 45 days during the COVID-19 pandemic and received valid data from 988 respondents. The results show that low satisfaction with natural lighting, glare and humidity predicted eye related symptoms, while low satisfaction with noise was a strong predictor of fatigue or tiredness, headaches or migraines, anxiety, and depression or sadness. Nose and throat related symptoms and skin related symptoms were only uniquely predicted by low satisfaction with humidity. Low satisfaction with glare uniquely predicted an increase in musculoskeletal discomfort. Symptoms related to mental stress, rumination or worry were predicted by low satisfaction with air quality and noise. Finally, low satisfaction with noise and indoor temperature predicted the prevalence of symptoms related to trouble concentrating, maintaining attention or focus. Workers with higher income were more satisfied with humidity, air quality and indoor temperature and had better overall mental health. Older individuals had increased satisfaction with natural lighting, humidity, air quality, noise, and indoor temperature. Findings from this study can inform future design practices that focus on hybrid home-work environments by highlighting the impact of IEQ factors on occupant well-being.

Indoor environment quality assessment in classrooms: An integrated approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 336-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Tahsildoost ◽  
Zahra S Zomorodian
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Multiple Regression Model ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Potential Index ◽  
The Impact

Indoor Environmental Quality is an important issue in educational buildings since it is directly related to students’ well-being and learning activities. Indoor Environmental Quality parameters have been assessed in three representative campus building typologies (old, new, and retrofitted), in Tehran, Iran, by measurements and questionnaire (n = 842) from July 2016 to April 2017. Results have been compared to the students’ overall satisfaction level and recommended standards. According to results, minimum attention to local standards with regard to Indoor Air Quality, acoustic, and lighting, especially in the old and retrofitted buildings, seems the main reason of low environmental quality in the studied cases. Fitting a multiple regression model to the questionnaire data, a mathematical model is developed to predict the overall comfort (Indoor Environmental Quality index). Studied buildings have been ranked based on the Indoor Environmental Quality index from high quality: I (building C) to out of the comfort range: IV (building A). Moreover, results reveal that the acceptable range of each Indoor Environmental Quality parameters, especially with regard to thermal and acoustic comfort, is broader in real condition in comparison with the standards. Finally, the buildings’ annual energy consumption is used to propose a Retrofit Potential Index in order to assess the impact of comfort parameters on energy consumption by integrated analyses.

scholarly journals The impact of IEQ on occupants’ satisfaction in Malaysian buildings

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 715-725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syahrul Nizam Kamaruzzaman ◽  
Charles O. Egbu ◽  
Norhayati Mahyuddin ◽  
Emma Marinie Ahmad Zawawi ◽  
Shirley Jin Lin Chua ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Comfort Level ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Aesthetic Perception ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Post Occupancy Evaluation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Occupant Satisfaction

This paper focuses on the importance of occupant satisfaction with indoor environmental quality in buildings as well as the effect of indoor environmental quality towards occupants’ satisfaction. This research applied post-occupancy evaluation as a method to indicate the building occupants’ needs, their satisfaction and comfort level. The research is based on a case study approach whereby a questionnaire survey was conducted among 25 organizations involved in managing office buildings. A total of 115 questionnaires were returned for evaluation of occupants’ overall satisfaction from aspects of indoor environmental quality in these buildings and to determine the occupants’ satisfaction level within these buildings. The findings revealed that indoor environment factors that could contribute to occupants’ satisfaction consists of lighting, air quality and aesthetic perception. These classifications were made based on the factor analysis done with 22 attributes of the indoor environment. The majority of occupants are satisfied with their health conditions and do not face any serious health problems. However, occupants highlighted that some environmental conditions, health effects, air movement, ventilation and air freshness are important criteria for their satisfaction and comfort. This study provides insights into how occupants perceive their indoor environment and comfort, and identify problems that could arise in buildings.

scholarly journals Built environments for inpatient stroke rehabilitation services and care: a systematic literature review

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. e050247
Author(s):  
Ruby Lipson-Smith ◽  
Luis Pflaumer ◽  
Marie Elf ◽  
Sarah-May Blaschke ◽  
Aaron Davis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Stroke Rehabilitation ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Built Environments ◽  
Rehabilitation Facilities ◽  
Communal Areas ◽  
The Impact

ObjectivesTo identify, appraise and synthesise existing design evidence for inpatient stroke rehabilitation facilities; to identify impacts of these built environments on the outcomes and experiences of people recovering from stroke, their family/caregivers and staff.DesignA convergent segregated review design was used to conduct a systematic review.Data sourcesOvid MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature were searched for articles published between January 2000 and November 2020.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesQualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods studies investigating the impact of the built environment of inpatient rehabilitation facilities on stroke survivors, their family/caregivers and/or staff.Data extraction and synthesisTwo authors separately completed the title, abstract, full-text screening, data extraction and quality assessment. Extracted data were categorised according to the aspect of the built environment explored and the outcomes reported. These categories were used to structure a narrative synthesis of the results from all included studies.ResultsTwenty-four articles were included, most qualitative and exploratory. Half of the included articles investigated a particular aspect of the built environment, including environmental enrichment and communal areas (n=8), bedroom design (n=3) and therapy spaces (n=1), while the other half considered the environment in general. Findings related to one or more of the following outcome categories: (1) clinical outcomes, (2) patient activity, (3) patient well-being, (4) patient and/or staff safety and (5) clinical practice. Heterogeneous designs and variables of interest meant results could not be compared, but some repeated findings suggest that attractive and accessible communal areas are important for patient activity and well-being.ConclusionsStroke rehabilitation is a unique healthcare context where patient activity, practice and motivation are paramount. We found many evidence gaps that with more targeted research could better inform the design of rehabilitation spaces to optimise care.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020158006.

scholarly journals Walking on Visual Illusions

i-Perception ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 204166952098110
Author(s):  
Greig Dickson ◽  
Daria Burtan ◽  
Shelley James ◽  
David Phillips ◽  
Jasmina Stevanov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Architectural Design ◽  
Visual Illusion ◽  
Fear Of Falling ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Physical Characteristics ◽  
Built Environments ◽  
Control Pattern ◽  
3D Effects ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
The Impact

In nature, sensory and physical characteristics of the environment tend to match; for example, a surface that looks bumpy is bumpy. In human-built environments, they often don’t. Here, we report observations from people exploring if mismatch between visual and physical characteristics affected their perceived walking experience. Participants walked across four flat floors, each comprising of a visual illusion: two patterns perceived as alternating 3D “furrows and ridges,” the Primrose Field illusion, and a variant of the Cafe Wall illusion as a control pattern without perceived 3D effects. Participants found all patterns intriguing to look at; some describing them as “playful” or “gentle.” More than half found some of the patterns uncomfortable to walk on, aversive, affecting walking stability, and occasionally even evoking fear of falling. These experiences raise crucial research questions for the vision sciences into the impact of architectural design on well-being and walkability.

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