scholarly journals Facial Expression-Based Experimental Analysis of Human Reactions and Psychological Comfort on Glass Structures in Buildings

Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 204
Author(s):  
Chiara Bedon ◽  
Silvana Mattei
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expression ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Building Design ◽  
End Users ◽  
Experimental Methodology ◽  
Built Environments ◽  
Human Comfort ◽  
Efficient System ◽  
Design Concepts ◽  
Facial Expression Analysis

For engineering applications, human comfort in the built environment depends on several objective aspects that can be mathematically controlled and limited to reference performance indicators. Typical examples include structural, energy and thermal issues, and others. Human reactions, however, are also sensitive to a multitude of aspects that can be associated with design concepts of the so-called “emotional architecture”, through which subjective feelings, nervous states and emotions of end-users are evoked by constructional details. The interactions of several objective and subjective parameters can make the “optimal” building design challenging, and this is especially the case for new technical concepts, constructional materials and techniques. In this paper, a remote experimental methodology is proposed to explore and quantify the prevailing human reactions and psychological comfort trends for building occupants, with a focus on end-users exposed to structural glass environments. Major advantages were taken from the use of virtual visual stimuli and facial expression automatic recognition analysis, and from the active support of 30 volunteers. As shown, while glass is often used in constructions, several intrinsic features (transparency, brittleness, etc.) are responsible for subjective feelings that can affect the overall psychological comfort of users. In this regard, the use of virtual built environments and facial expression analysis to quantify human reactions can represent an efficient system to support the building design process.

scholarly journals Remote Facial Expression and Heart Rate Measurements to Assess Human Reactions in Glass Structures

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Chiara Bedon ◽  
Silvana Mattei
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Facial Expression ◽  
Experimental Approach ◽  
Mechanical Design ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Structural Glass ◽  
Human Comfort ◽  
Engineering Knowledge ◽  
Early Design Stage

In engineering applications, human comfort fulfillment is challenging because it depends on several aspects that can be mathematically controlled and optimized, like in case of structural, energy, or thermal issues, and others. Major troubles can indeed derive from combined human reactions, which are related to a multitude of aspects. The so-called “emotional architecture” and its nervous feelings are part of the issue. The interaction of objective and subjective parameters can thus make the “optimal” building design complex. This paper presents a pilot experimental investigation developed remotely to quantify the reactions and nervous states of 10 volunteers exposed to structural glass environments. As known, intrinsic material features (transparency, brittleness, etc.) require specific engineering knowledge for safe mechanical design but can in any case evoke severe subjective feelings for customers, thus affecting their psychological comfort and hence behaviour and movements. This study takes advantage of static/dynamic Virtual Reality (VR) environments and facial expression analyses, with Artificial Intelligence tools that are used to measure both Action Units (AUs) of facial microexpressions and optical heart rate (HR) acquisitions of volunteers exposed to VR scenarios. As shown, within the limits of collected records, the postprocessing analysis of measured signals proves that a rather good correlation can be found for measured AUs, HR data trends, and emotions under various glazing stimuli. Such a remote experimental approach could be thus exploited to support the early design stage of structural glass members and assemblies in buildings.

scholarly journals Designing for health and wellbeing: various concepts, similar goals

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 13-31
Author(s):  
Theo van der Voordt
Keyword(s):  
Interior Design ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Sick Building Syndrome ◽  
Building Design ◽  
End Users ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Indoor Climate ◽  
Design Concepts ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
The Impact

The last decades show a growing interest in the impact of buildings, facilities and services on health and wellbeing. This paper aims to present different design concepts that have been developed to support health and wellbeing of the end users, such as healing environments and healthy offices, or to avoid negative impacts, such as the Sick Building Syndrome and toxic workplaces. Each concept is supported by a selection of references to available evidence of its influence. The paper is based on an extensive narrative literature review of buildings and facilities related publications on how to provide healthy environments, with a focus on offices and health care facilities. The discussed design concepts have much in common, but also different focus points,   Overall it is shown that a variety of building design characteristics - spatial layout, indoor climate, interior design, finishing, contact with nature - affect  the health and wellbeing of building users. Facilities such as desk bikes and plants and services such as healthy food and drinks or healthy behaviour stimulating programs have a positive impact as well. As a consequence, the design and management of healthy environments needs a multidisciplinary approach and collaboration between designers, corporate real estate and facility managers, human resource managers, IT specialists, and the involvement of different stakeholder such as clients and end users.  

scholarly journals Thermal Inertia Characterization of Multilayer Lightweight Walls: Numerical Analysis and Experimental Validation

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 5008
Author(s):  
Juan José del Coz-Díaz ◽  
Felipe Pedro Álvarez-Rabanal ◽  
Mar Alonso-Martínez ◽  
Juan Enrique Martínez-Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Lightweight Concrete ◽  
Thermal Flux ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Thermal Inertia ◽  
Transient State ◽  
Experimental Tests ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Experimental Methodology ◽  
Improve Energy Efficiency ◽  
Concrete Blocks

The thermal inertia properties of construction elements have gained a great deal of importance in building design over the last few years. Many investigations have shown that this is the key factor to improve energy efficiency and obtain optimal comfort conditions in buildings. However, experimental tests are expensive and time consuming and the development of new products requires shorter analysis times. In this sense, the goal of this research is to analyze the thermal behavior of a wall made up of lightweight concrete blocks covered with layers of insulating materials in steady- and transient-state conditions. For this, numerical and experimental studies were done, taking outdoor temperature and relative humidity as a function of time into account. Furthermore, multi-criteria optimization based on the design of the experimental methodology is used to minimize errors in thermal material properties and to understand the main parameters that influence the numerical simulation of thermal inertia. Numerical Finite Element Models (FEM) will take conduction, convection and radiation phenomena in the recesses of lightweight concrete blocks into account, as well as the film conditions established in the UNE-EN ISO 6946 standard. Finally, the numerical ISO-13786 standard and the experimental results are compared in terms of wall thermal transmittance, thermal flux, and temperature evolution, as well as the dynamic thermal inertia parameters, showing a good agreement in some cases, allowing builders, architects, and engineers to develop new construction elements in a short time with the new proposed methodology.

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