scholarly journals The Readability and Usability of Building User Guides

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Michael Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Performance Test ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Maintenance Management ◽  
Usability Study ◽  
User Survey ◽  
Trouble Shooting ◽  
Building Systems ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
Readability Level

<p>Building user guides are intended to inform building occupants about the building systems within their workplace. They are created to describe and document all the necessary information pertaining to the buildings operation, maintenance, management and basic trouble shooting procedures. They have been found to be useful, as building systems are becoming increasingly complex. There is evidence to suggest that the Building User Guides are designed at a level that is too technical and too difficult to use for the average building user and that they are therefore not doing their job.  This research evaluates how easily building occupants are able to read and use building user guides, that have been designed for use in green buildings (where they can contribute to the building’s New Zealand Green Building Council’s sustainability rating).  Twenty-three Building User Guides by a range of firms and writers were sampled from all over the country. The building user guides were assessed for their readability and how easy they are to use. Their readability level was assessed using the Simple Measure of Gobbledegook (SMOG) as a basic measure of readability, while a second measure, a word frequency profiler was used to assess the vocabulary needed to read current building user guides. A usability study was completed through a user survey. This was completed by 47 respondents. The survey used both a Performance Test and a Text Evaluation Questionnaire to assess the building user guide’s usability.  The readability study found that the building user guides were written at a level that meant the majority of New Zealanders would struggle to comprehend. The constant use of technical language and jargon present in the building user guides detracted from the overall readability of the document that. A consequence of these results would be the users failing to understand aspects of a building user guides. Furthermore, this could lead to the incorrect use of a building’s services, which in turn could affect the efficient use of GreenStar rated buildings and their performance in practice.  The usability study found that users were capable of finding some set information within the building user guide. Of the tested aspects in the usability survey it was found that the contents page had the biggest impact on the participant’s perception of usability. Other key aspects found that would increase the usability include: bolder headings, a clearer layout, the addition of a frequently asked question section as well as the ability for the building user guide to be searched for key words.   A set of guidelines were developed from the findings of this research, for future building user guides to follow.</p>

scholarly journals The Readability and Usability of Building User Guides

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Michael Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Performance Test ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Maintenance Management ◽  
Usability Study ◽  
User Survey ◽  
Trouble Shooting ◽  
Building Systems ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
Readability Level

<p>Building user guides are intended to inform building occupants about the building systems within their workplace. They are created to describe and document all the necessary information pertaining to the buildings operation, maintenance, management and basic trouble shooting procedures. They have been found to be useful, as building systems are becoming increasingly complex. There is evidence to suggest that the Building User Guides are designed at a level that is too technical and too difficult to use for the average building user and that they are therefore not doing their job.  This research evaluates how easily building occupants are able to read and use building user guides, that have been designed for use in green buildings (where they can contribute to the building’s New Zealand Green Building Council’s sustainability rating).  Twenty-three Building User Guides by a range of firms and writers were sampled from all over the country. The building user guides were assessed for their readability and how easy they are to use. Their readability level was assessed using the Simple Measure of Gobbledegook (SMOG) as a basic measure of readability, while a second measure, a word frequency profiler was used to assess the vocabulary needed to read current building user guides. A usability study was completed through a user survey. This was completed by 47 respondents. The survey used both a Performance Test and a Text Evaluation Questionnaire to assess the building user guide’s usability.  The readability study found that the building user guides were written at a level that meant the majority of New Zealanders would struggle to comprehend. The constant use of technical language and jargon present in the building user guides detracted from the overall readability of the document that. A consequence of these results would be the users failing to understand aspects of a building user guides. Furthermore, this could lead to the incorrect use of a building’s services, which in turn could affect the efficient use of GreenStar rated buildings and their performance in practice.  The usability study found that users were capable of finding some set information within the building user guide. Of the tested aspects in the usability survey it was found that the contents page had the biggest impact on the participant’s perception of usability. Other key aspects found that would increase the usability include: bolder headings, a clearer layout, the addition of a frequently asked question section as well as the ability for the building user guide to be searched for key words.   A set of guidelines were developed from the findings of this research, for future building user guides to follow.</p>

scholarly journals Systematic Literature Review on Green Maintenance Principles and Maintenance Performance Indicators for Green Buildings Design

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-75
Author(s):  
Kunasuntare Purumal ◽  
Azlan Shah Ali ◽  
Norhanim Zakaria ◽  
Kurannen Baaki
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
The Body ◽  
Maintenance Management ◽  
Advanced Technology ◽  
Maintenance Performance

The UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2020 highlighted buildings and cities as one among six sector solutions for climate change through enhanced energy efficiency and carbon reduction. A good performing green building is seen as a solution for energy efficiency and environmental protection, but performance of green building is largely affected by maintenance management. Green maintenance has been introduced to allow goal of maintenance to be realised using advanced technology and equipment at the lowest cost of resources and energy use, waste and minimise environmental effect. There have been findings that green buildings might not be performing as how it is intended. However, green maintenance performance indicators are rarely studied. Even though there is an issue in this area, it was found that there was still scarcity of studies that review the existing literature on green maintenance, maintenance performance, and maintenance management of green building. Hence, a systematic literature review was conducted on the integration of green maintenance principles into maintenance performance indicators for green buildings. This review was based on the publication standard, namely RepOrting Standards for Systematic Evidence Syntheses (ROSES) and integrated multiple research designs. Two leading databases (Web of Science and Scopus) was selected for the searching of existing literature. Based on the data, for green maintenance principles and performance indicators, 4 main aspects have been established, namely Environment, Economy, Technical and Social. 5 green maintenance principles that have also been identified. Moreover, 11 green maintenance indicators and 25 sub-indicators were identified. This study has offered significant contribution to the body of knowledge in this topic. The findings explained the importance of integrating green maintenance principles into maintenance performance for green building to ensure desired maintenance performance, as follows: 1) to encourage green building managers to realise their role in maintenance performance; 2) to plan integration strategies according to the desired maintenance performance; and 3) to inform on the knowledge gap existence on specific areas and future studies suggestions.

scholarly journals The Impact of Maintenance Factors on Sustainability of Green Buildings in Nairobi County, Kenya.

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-55
Keyword(s):  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Maintenance Management ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Efficient Manner ◽  
Maintenance Factors ◽  
Maintenance Policies ◽  
Maintenance Personnel ◽  
The Impact

Green buildings are relatively new in the construction industry, especially in Kenya and serious questions regarding their maintenance beg answers as little has been documented. This study therefore, sought to assess the impact of maintenance factors on sustainability of green buildings in Nairobi County. A survey to investigate; maintenance problems, maintenance policies, maintenance strategies and maintenance management tools/techniques in relation to sustainability of green buildings was delimited to a sample size of 25 LEED certified buildings in Nairobi County and 86 registered green building practitioners. The survey achieved 53% response rate and data analysis was carried out using a quantitative approach. The findings indicate that, the maintenance strategy variable seemed not to have a significant relationship with the outcome variable, hence it was dropped from the model. The final logistic regression model shows that, the odds for sustainability of green buildings are 1.44, 3.72 and 2.89 times higher when there is proper management of maintenance problems, adequate maintenance policies and proper maintenance management tools/techniques respectively, holding all other factors constant. The results highlighted the need of a paradigm shift in maintenance management of green buildings hence, the proposed framework in figure 2 that will enable maintenance personnel to execute their work in an efficient manner. From an academic perspective, the findings contribute to the pool of knowledge available in the area of green buildings maintenance.

Green Architecture and its applications in Hospitals:Analytical study of existing project to extract the mechanisms of applying green architecture in hospitals

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-93
Author(s):  
Anfal Muayad Mayoof
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Analytical Study ◽  
Complex Function ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Social Aspects ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Green Architecture ◽  
Reduce Energy Consumption ◽  
The One

Hospitals are the major contributor to environmental corruption and the biggest drain onenergy in their life cycle because they are complex, multifunctional giant facilities. Several recent studieshave been carried out to find the most suitable solutions to reduce energy consumption provide it on-siteand contribute to supporting economic, environmental and social aspects. The reason for the slowmovement of green buildings for hospitals is to focus on a suitable design for the complex function thatdeals with the local climate, natural resources, economy and cultural values and avoid the one-size-fits alldesign. This made the solutions used multiple and varied, different for greening of the hospital and put theresearch in the absence of a clear perception of the mechanisms of the application of green architecture inhospitals and this identified the problem of research. Therefore, the study looked at an analytical study ofexisting project models designed according to the strategies and standards of green architecture todetermine the strategies adopted in each project, and by adopting the analytical method after determiningthe strategy used in each building to achieve the green architecture and then comparing them according tothe standards adopted using the global LEED system Green Building Council. The results that will bereached are the mechanisms of applying Green Architecture to Hospitals.

scholarly journals Role of Spatial Design in Green Buildings-A Critical Review of Green Building Rating Systems

2021 ◽  
Vol 1116 (1) ◽  
pp. 012166
Author(s):  
Manoj Katiyar ◽  
Ashok Kumar Sahu ◽  
Sanjay Agarwal ◽  
Pravesh Tiwari
Keyword(s):  
Critical Review ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Rating Systems ◽  
Spatial Design

scholarly journals Development of Implementation Guidlines for Maintenance, Repairation and Determine Material Spesifications for Mechanical Component Design in Government Own Green Building Based On Work Breakdown Structure

2018 ◽  
Vol 206 ◽  
pp. 02014
Author(s):  
Dwi Endah Aryaningrum ◽  
Yusuf Latief ◽  
Leni Sagita Riantini ◽  
Budi Susilo
Keyword(s):  
Global Climate ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Work Package ◽  
Maintenance And Repair ◽  
Work Breakdown Structure ◽  
Component Design ◽  
Global Issue ◽  
Implementation Guidelines ◽  
Mechanical Components

The development of green buildings has become a global issue as global climate change is gradually becoming a serious concern for the future. Government buildings can be categorized as buildings that must comply with green building requirements, because they consume energy, water and other resources with large quantities. The absence of guidelines in maintenance and repair of government buildings will have an impact on the security and comfort of building users. In addition, the absence of guidance regarding the material specifications used will also result in a material stock system for maintenance and repair being ineffective. This study discusses the development of implementation guidelines for maintenance, reparation and determine material specifications for mechanical components design in government own green buildings based on work breakdown structure. This research will detail starting from the sub work section, work package, alternative design, implementation requirements, activities, resources and material specifications. With the implementation guidelines for maintenance, reparation and determine material specifications for mechanical components design in government own green buildings based on work breakdown structure (WBS) expected maintenance and reparation of government buildings can be implemented maximally, according to specifications and functions.

scholarly journals Barriers to the Diffusion and Adoption of Green Buildings in Saudi Arabia

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Mosly
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Government Policies ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
The Public ◽  
Environmental Disasters ◽  
The Us ◽  
And Diffusion

<p>Many countries around the globe have recently pursued sustainability. The public and governments are demanding sustainability due to worldwide environmental disasters caused by pollution and man-made activities that impact the ecological system. Green buildings represent a significant component of sustainability, as their construction is intended to reduce natural resources consumption through energy and water conservation. Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s richest countries, but its number of certified green buildings is notably low. In addition, all of these buildings are certified by the US Green Building Council LEED rating system and not by a national organization. It seems that numerous barriers exist, slowing the development and diffusion of green buildings in Saudi Arabia. Through a systematic qualitative research approach, this research aims to explore barriers to the diffusion and adoption of green buildings in Saudi Arabia, which will facilitate the development of green buildings in Saudi Arabia. This research concludes the identification of 14 green building barriers, with lack of skilled personal and unsupportive government policies and regulations being the most significant barriers.</p>

scholarly journals Green Building Occupant Satisfaction: Evidence from the Australian Higher Education Sector

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2890 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Khoshbakht ◽  
Zhonghua Gou ◽  
Xiaohuan Xie ◽  
Baojie He ◽  
Amos Darko
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Control ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Facilities Management ◽  
Subtropical Climate ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Artificial Lighting ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Occupant Satisfaction

Universities spend billions of dollars on green buildings as a sustainability commitment. This research investigates occupant satisfaction with indoor environmental quality (IEQ), building design (BD), and facilities management (FM) in five highly ranked green higher educational buildings in the subtropical climate of Australia, in comparison to nine non-green counterparts. The results disclose that the green building users were more consistently satisfied than the non-green building users with BD&FM elements, such as design, needs from facilities, building image, cleaning, the availability of meeting rooms, and storage. On the other hand, the study revealed weaknesses of green buildings in IEQ, such as noise, ventilation, and artificial lighting. The individual environmental control positively correlated with satisfaction in non-green buildings, but did not significantly affect satisfaction in green buildings. This study also identified the influences of non-environmental factors on occupant satisfaction, such as gender, age, sitting close to a window, hours spent in the building and in the workstation, and the number of people sharing office space. The research provides evidence and guidance for investing in, designing, and managing green educational facilities.

Examining barriers and measures to promote the adoption of green building practices in Pakistan

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 86-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sana Azeem ◽  
Malik Asghar Naeem ◽  
Abdul Waheed ◽  
Muhammad Jamaluddin Thaheem
Keyword(s):  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Building Codes ◽  
Common People ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Common ◽  
Green Building Codes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the barriers inhibiting the adoption of green building and measures to promote this approach in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach Barriers and measures were identified and examined by using a combination of research methods, including literature review, questionnaire survey, and in-depth interviews with the construction industry-related practitioners working in Pakistan. Ranking technique and factor analysis were used to identify the significant issues associated with the adoption of green building practices. Findings As per the survey results, the most critical barrier is “lack of awareness among people about the importance and advantages of adopting green building practices,” followed by “lack of incentives from government” and “lack of green building codes and regulations,” respectively. The results also indicate that most important measure to promote the adoption of green buildings is “creation of public awareness toward green initiatives through seminars, workshops, and discussions,” followed by “availability of green building codes and regulations (mandatory to apply)” and “financial incentives and penalties by the government (e.g. soft loan, tax) for promoting green building practices,” respectively. Research limitations/implications Research limitation is that its findings, other than Pakistan, cannot be generalized to other developing countries. Practical implications Findings of the research will be helpful in sensitizing the regulatory agencies, the policy makers, and the building construction practitioners about the barriers to adoption of green building practices. The suggested measures will help in devising policies and economic measures to promote the construction of green and environment-friendly buildings. Social implications This research will help the common people to know about the importance of green buildings that may lead to a deviation from the practice of traditional buildings to a widespread trend of building green buildings. This will lead to drastic reduction in demand for energy and considerable monetary savings for the common people. Originality/value The findings of this study are expected to contribute valuable information to decision makers for the better understanding of key issues that call for more attention in the promotion of efforts of green building practices in Pakistan. The results are based on the perception of local stakeholders, but might also be helpful for policy makers in other countries.

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