scholarly journals Performance Evaluation of LEED-certified Affordable Homes: Case Study of LEED-certified Habitat for Humanity

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 120
Author(s):  
Eunsil Lee
Keyword(s):  
Performance Evaluation ◽  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Habitat For Humanity ◽  
Positive Effects

Despite the rapid growth in the number of LEED-certified homes, little data is currently available about the actual effects of LEED-certified affordable homes. The purpose of present study is to conduct a comprehensive performance evaluation for LEED-certified Habitat for Humanity residences in terms of (1) energy efficiency, (2) indoor environmental quality, (3) health impact, (4) residential satisfaction, (5) quality of life, and (6) environmental attitudes and behaviors. A case study was conducted with 15 households living in LEED-certified Habitat for Humanity homes in Kent County, Michigan using observation, in-depth interviews, and surveys. Findings revealed overall housing satisfaction was very high although some residents indicated lower satisfaction with their neighborhood. Most of case study homes had 30-50% lower electricity and natural gas bills. Most participants were satisfied with indoor environmental quality (IEQ) including thermal comfort, indoor air quality, amount daylight, quality of artificial lighting, and acoustical condition. Most participants agreed that since moving into their current homes they have experienced improved family relationships, better health conditions, more positive attitudes, and better performance of their children. The major findings of this case study support the positive effects of LEED-certified low-income homes on residents’ behavioral, social, and psychological aspects of well-being.

ASSESSMENT OF INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND OCCURRENCE OF SICK BUILDING SYNDROME IN SMALL OFFICES IN PENANG, MALAYSIA

2015 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ang Qiu Mei ◽  
Md Azree Othuman Mydin
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Sick Building Syndrome ◽  
Quality Measurement ◽  
Comfort Level ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Sick Building ◽  
The Difference

This study was done to investigate the relationship between indoor environmental quality and prevalence of Sick Building Syndrome in six small offices inPenangIsland. Indoor environmental quality measurement was conducted according to relevant standards. There are totally Sixty workers were selected to participate in an electronic questionnaire survey. Questionnaire was used to record the comfort level of respondents in the case studies and level of sick building syndrome faced by respondents. Through indoor environmental quality measurement, it is found that most of the offices facing the lighting and noise problem. The result from the questionnaire shows that in overall, the occupants satisfy with their working environment in term of indoor environmental quality although the result also shows the opinions of occupants on dissatisfaction on certain indoor environmental parameter according to case study. The study also found that most of the occupants feel drowsy and fatigue when they work within the offices. Besides, due to the difference of the indoor environmental quality of the buildings, the occupants are suffered from different symptoms of the sick building syndrome.

scholarly journals Facing Fear Through Making Connections as We Age

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 667-667
Author(s):  
Becky Knight ◽  
Amanda Noah ◽  
Sharon Bowland
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Childhood Abuse ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Determinant ◽  
Older African American Women

Abstract Older residents often experience disruption in family relationships and social networks due to isolation once they move into public housing communities. While the need for social contact continues, the opportunity may diminish. Older African-American women living in one housing community attempted to cope with their personal safety fears through social isolation (Bowland, 2015). Women in the study (N = 25) were survivors of one or more forms of interpersonal trauma, including childhood abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence. In contrast, a few women in the same sample spontaneously formed social networks within the community. This qualitative investigation will examine how the women adapted to an isolating and unsafe environment by developing social connections. As a social determinant of health, developing healthy social networks inside a housing community can reduce fear and improve well-being and quality of life for low-income older residents who are aging-in-place.

scholarly journals Development of an Indoor Environmental Quality Assessment Tool for the Rating of Offices in Real Working Conditions

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1645
Author(s):  
Anna Devitofrancesco ◽  
Lorenzo Belussi ◽  
Italo Meroni ◽  
Fabio Scamoni
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Working Space ◽  
Overall Performance ◽  
Operational Phase ◽  
Indoor Comfort

The Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) refers to the quality of indoor spaces in relation to the health and well-being of users. IEQ is a holistic concept considering various components of the overall indoor comfort: thermo-hygrometric, lighting, air quality and acoustics. Each component is described through specific performance indicators and benchmarks. The quality of the built environment is assessed at different stages from design to operational phase. The scientific literature reports several case studies related to the assessment of the individual components of the IEQ Tools aimed at the evaluation of the overall IEQ. The paper proposes an assessment tool based on the SB Method (Sustainable Building Method) and the Multi Criteria Analysis for the evaluation of IEQ during the operational phase of a building. Each component of IEQ is analysed through objective indicators and calculation methods. The tool provides two main outcomes: a global score expressing the overall performance of the building from the IEQ perspective; quantitative evaluations of all indoor comfort components through monitoring and measurement of the environmental variables. The above contributes to select intervention areas to optimize indoor design and to identify technologies aimed at ensuring the best IEQ levels for users at the operational stage. The system was applied to an open-plan working space of an office building. Monitoring activities and measurements are carried out to detect the indoor and outdoor variables affecting the IEQ. All aspects of IEQ were analysed and quantified so to evaluate the overall performance of the building and provide data to improve the working conditions.

scholarly journals Indoor Environmental Quality of Low-Income Housing in Delhi, India: Findings from a Field Study

2015 ◽  
Vol 78 ◽  
pp. 495-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Nix ◽  
Clive Shrubsole ◽  
Payel Das ◽  
Michael Davies
Keyword(s):  
Field Study ◽  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Low Income Housing

scholarly journals Indoor environmental quality evaluation in a hot and arid climate: a case study of a higher education office building

2020 ◽  
Vol 167 ◽  
pp. 04004
Author(s):  
Yasmin Abdou ◽  
Young Ki Kim ◽  
Lindita Bande
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Office Building ◽  
Arid Climate ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality

Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ) refers to the overall environmental quality within a building, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of the building’s occupants. It includes several factors such as lighting levels and indoor air quality (IAQ). As humans spend a significant amount of time indoors; particularly at the workplace for up to 12 hours a day, the IEQ of the office greatly affects one’s overall well-being, health with striking effects on productivity. As for IAQ, in severe cases, high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), particulate matter (PM), and humidity may cause headache, allergy, and asthma. A higher education (HE) office building located in United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) campus has been taken as a case study. Situated in the UAE, this is characterized by an extremely hot-arid climate. The HE building has been monitored using a set of advanced sensor devices to record indoor environmental data such as the measurements of temperature, relative humidity, lux level, particulate matter 2.5/10(PM 2.5/ 10), carbon dioxide (CO2), and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs). Results of this paper aim to use the onsite numerical assessment and future POE assessment to verify the building’s performance and discover where the operational gaps are. Better facility management strategies will be suggested to enhance the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) as well as more findings will be discussed in this paper.

Quality of Life at an Elder’s Collective Dwelling Community: A Case Study of a Toronto Seniors’ Residence

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-126
Author(s):  
Weizhen Dong
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Canadian Population ◽  
At Home

Canada is aging rapidly in recent years. Today, about 17 percent of the Canadian population is 65 or older. Although most seniors are aging at home (93 percent), an increasing number of elders are living in collective dwelling facilities or waiting for a vacant spot in such a community. Knowing the challenge in providing elders with satisfactory services in a multicultural society, we conducted a case study to explore elders’ quality of lives in an elders’ residence in Toronto. As the first such study in Canada, our goal is finding evidences for improving the quality of life of the elders. This project employed a qualitative case study method. Face-to-face interview and focus group discussion were the main data collection methods. The data analysis perspective is quality of life. The residence provides the elders an age appropriate lifestyle and socializing activities. Thus, most of its tenants feel at home and satisfied. However, some ethnic minority members experience communication barriers; and there are unmet service demands that require the support of societal resources. These findings are important for developing strategies to close the gaps. Collective dwelling has positive effects on elders’ general health. More resources are urgently needed for improving the seniors’ quality of lives and their subjective well-being. Elder residents’ communities require vital services such as social workers, basic health care, and a subsidized meal plan.

Measuring the Impact of a Full Service Grocery Store in a Food Desert

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-176
Author(s):  
Kellie Schneider ◽  
Diana Cuy Castellanos ◽  
Felix Fernando ◽  
Jeanne A. Holcomb
Keyword(s):  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Food Deserts ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Grocery Store ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

Food deserts, areas in which it is difficult to obtain affordable, nutritious food, are especially problematic in low-income neighbourhoods. One model for addressing food hardship and unemployment issues within low-income food deserts is a cooperative grocery store. Through the cooperative model, the grocery store can serve as a cornerstone to address socio-economic marginalisation of low-income neighbourhoods and improve the health and well-being of its residents. It is important for communities and policymakers to be able to assess the effectiveness of these types of endeavours beyond traditional economic factors such as profitability. This article uses a systems engineering approach to develop a framework for measuring the holistic impact of a cooperative grocery store on community health and well-being. This framework encompasses values that characterise the relationship between food retail, economic viability and social equality. We develop a dashboard to display the key metrics for measuring the economic, social and environmental indicators that reflect a grocery store’s social impact. We demonstrate the usefulness of the framework through a case study of a full-service cooperative grocery store that is planned within the city of Dayton, OH.

scholarly journals Coaches’ implementation strategies in providing social support to Singaporean university athletes: A case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 681-693
Author(s):  
Koon Teck Koh ◽  
Marja Kokkonen ◽  
Heng Rang Bryan Law
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Implementation Strategies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Implementation Framework ◽  
Support Strategies ◽  
Individual Sports ◽  
Sport Coaches ◽  
University Athletes

Coaches are effective providers of social support to their athletes. Although sport-specific measures of social support have been developed to better understand athletes’ perceptions of available support, limited amount of research has addressed how sport coaches implement specific social support strategies. The purpose of this study was to examine university coaches’ implementation strategies in providing various forms of social support to their athletes. A total of eight sport coaches from team and individual sports (four from each sport) were purposefully selected for this study. Coaches were individually interviewed. The interview transcripts were analysed using a thematic analysis. The results revealed that coaches from different sports shared similar strategies across emotional, esteem, informational and tangible dimensions, but with some distinguishable differences in the way these strategies were implemented. In documenting the lived experiences of sport coaches, key strategies valued highly among these coaches were highlighted, providing important implications for coaches to know how to incorporate these strategies into their coaching practice to better support athletes’ well-being and improve the quality of coaching. The findings also provide an implementation framework of social support that emphasizes key strategies for coaches to focus on in their coaching approaches.

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