School design can contribute to reducing carbon emissions and raising environmental awareness among the next generation. A good school environment can have positive effects on occupant behaviour, mood and working productivity, etc. This paper selected three RIBA award-winning schools as research examples in order to investigate how the occupants perceive the actual building performance of their school, and its impact on their use of the building. Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) based on occupant surveys and interview was linked to internal environmental performance and energy use. Generally, the feedback was satisfactory. However, some aspects of the buildings’ environmental performance, such as air quality, lighting environment and thermal comfort, were considered unsatisfactory by school staff at certain times. This study indicated that there are gaps between design intent and actual building performance, and also highlighted the importance of the relationship between school design and school users. Design suggestions to achieve a better school environment are identified in the conclusion.
How Do Occupants Perceive the Building Performance of Award-Winning Schools in the UK
Exploring the first European residential project receiving the ‘outstanding’ BREEAM certificate
The importance of demonstration projects in the process towards more sustainable building is endorsed. It is noticed that performances on sustainability of these projects are rarely proven by leading and widely used multi criteria assessment and rating tools. This research focuses on a project for sustainable grouped housing intended to act as a demonstration project and awarded with the BREEAM ‘outstanding’ certificate.
The main objective of this paper is to explore and position this assessed and rated project between renowned European demonstration and best practice projects. First, implemented design measures are unveiled which led to the ‘outstanding’ pre-design certificate. Second, detected design measures are compared with prevailing sustainability measures in a ‘real-life’ cross case confrontation. Third, a SWOT analysis is made concerning innovative, deviant or exceptional measures within the context of Flanders/Europe.
It is concluded that, pending the completion of the construction phase, the assessed and rated project cannot be designated as ‘demonstration or best practice project’. Intended and/or actual measures are insufficient regarding the full scope of sustainability.
From zero-energy building to zero-energy neighbourhood: urban form and mobility matter
“Zero-Energy” Building (ZEB) is arousing more and more interest internationally, both in policies aiming at a more sustainable built environment (such as the European Directive PEB that will require, for example, all new buildings to be “nearly Zero-Energy” Buildings (nZEB) by 2020) and in the scientific literature. Although Zero-Energy can be considered at different scales, this approach only adopts the perspective of the individual building and neglects phenomena linked to larger scales. Therefore, this paper aims at investigating the “Zero-Energy Neighbourhood” concept. It proposes a calculation method that takes into account three main topics: the energy consumption of buildings, the impact of the location on the energy consumption for daily mobility and the use of renewable energies. An application of this calculation method to two representative case studies (one urban neighbourhood and one suburban neighbourhood) is proposed. Main parameters that act upon the energy balance are highlighted and combined to propose concrete results to improve our built environment and move towards more sustainability. Hourly and monthly balances, the potential of “energy
mutualisation” and smart grids are keys challenges that are of crucial importance in the scope of a Zero-Energy objective at the neighbourhood scale.
Totora: A sustainable Insulation Material for the Andean Parts of Peru
In the Andean areas of Peru (above 12,000 feet 3,657 meters) altitude) rural communities are characterized by extreme poverty, precarious roads, and dwellings without heating systems nor the most common types of conventional construction materials that might provide thermal protection. In 2002, the weather in the Andes changed, generating temperatures as low as -16 degrees Fahrenheit (-26 degrees Celsius), creating major heating deficits in the majority of the adobe houses. “Totora” (Schoenoplectus Tatora), an aquatic plant that grows in Lake Titicaca at 12,500 ft (3,810 meters) above sea level, available in most rural areas in Puno, is sold as an inexpensive mattress. Samples of woven mats of Totora were exported from Peru and tested in a laboratory at the University of Minnesota following the ASTM Standard C1155 to find its R-value. The results indicate that the Totora ‘mattress’ has an R-value that is approximately eight times higher than adobe of the same thickness. Additionally, the findings show that Totora can be used as a sustainable insulation on walls, windows and doors by applying it as an external layer to new or existing houses. This solution could improve the interior comfort of the houses and the quality of life in the rural Andean communities of Peru.
Reanalysing the ASHRAE RP-884 Database to Determine Thermal Comfort Criteria for Naturally Ventilated Buildings in Hot-Humid Climate
The main goal of this study is to determine a suitable set of thermal comfort criteria for naturally ventilated buildings in hot-humid climate by reanalysing the ASHRAE RP-884 database. The results reveal that the regression coefficient in the adaptive algorithm for naturally ventilated buildings in hot-humid climate is 0.52, which is steeper than ASHRAE Standard 55 and EN15251, even after considering the effects of indoor air speed. While higher air speed is effective to elevate indoor comfort temperature in hot-humid climate, the relationship between increased indoor air speed and increasing indoor operative temperature is also different from the above existing standards. In contrast, allowance for increased air speed may not be applicable to hot-dry climate. The daily mean outdoor air temperature may give more varied indoor operative temperatures that reflect the day’s conditions more closely compared to the monthly mean, running mean and prevailing mean outdoor air temperatures which tend to group together as a result of averaging. An Adaptive Comfort Standard for Hot-Humid Climate is proposed for application to naturally ventilated buildings in all tropical climates and hot-humid summer season of temperate climate based on these findings
Building Management for a Good Indoor Climate and Low Energy Use: How much coordination is needed between facility manager and technical manager?
In the Netherlands and most European countries it is usually not the Facility Manager who is in charge of the indoor climate and energy use of a building. This task is usually delegated to a technical service manager or sup-plier. This may seem logical because they both have their own specialism but in this case, the specialism’s are so far apart that the common interest of adding value through an optimal indoor climate, a low energy use and low exploitation costs is insufficiently served. This add-ed value can be measured in customer satisfaction, in terms of indoor climate and comfort, low absenteeism, higher production rates, low maintenance on HVAC systems and low energy consumption. Unfortunately, this added value is often not created and facility manag-er and technical manager do not work together, resulting in a poor indoor climate and high energy bills.
This paper presents the results of a qualitative research on the control of offices and educational buildings by the facility manager and technical manager, usually an installer. Daily practice is analyzed for a number of cases and complaints mismatches, actual indoor air quality, energy use and interventions are identified and analyzed. Best and worst practices are explained. The analysis also provides an integral model that covers the housings life cycle of the organization; design, imple-mentation, monitoring and adjustment of room usage and indoor climate. Finally recommendations are made for designers, builders and managers of HVAC systems and building management systems with attention for the necessary communication between technical and less technical administrators, such as facility managers.
Analysis of Seasonal Differences in Microclimate Formed in a Local Small City of Paddy Field Areas – A new approach using airborne remote sensing and CFD simulation
This paper examines the relationship between the seasonal land cover change and microclimate formed in a local small city of paddy field areas in Japan using airborne remote sensing data and CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulation. The land cover maps for three seasons, the 3D urban district model and the 3D surface temperature images are made using the airborne MSS (Multi-Spectral Scanner) data obtained in each season and GIS data in Tonami city, Toyama prefecture. These data are applied to the boundary conditions for the CFD simulation, and microclimate, including air current and air temperature distribution, are simulated for three seasons taking into account the seasonal land cover change. The simulation results are compared with the field measurement results for the microclimates in the site. These results quantitatively indicate that the control of microclimate by the paddy fields changes seasonally as its land cover changes through the year. In the summertime, the cooling effect of the paddy fields and the cool air current from the area contribute to the decrease in air temperature in the urbanized area.
An Interactive Performance-Based Expert System for Daylighting Design
Architects are increasingly using digital tools during the design process, particularly as they approach complex problems such as designing for successful daylighting performance. However, while simulation tools may provide the designer with valuable information, they do not necessarily guide the user towards design changes which will improve performance. This paper proposes an interactive, goal-based expert system for daylighting design, intended for use during the early design phase. The expert system consists of two major components: a daylighting knowledge-base which contains information regarding the effects of a variety of design conditions on resultant daylighting performance, and a fuzzy rule-based decision-making logic which is used to determine those design changes most likely to improve performance for a given design. The system gives the user the ability to input an initial model and a set of daylighting performance goals in the form of illuminance and daylighting-specific glare metrics. The system acts as a “virtual daylighting consultant,” guiding the user towards improved performance while maintaining the integrity of the original design and of the design process itself.
Outdoor Thermal Comfort in the Hot Arid Climate : The effect of socio-economic background and cultural différences
Climate-sensitive open spaces within cities may benefit the three dimensions of sustainability, affecting economical, social and environmental factors. Aiming to improve microclimatic conditions in urban spaces can enable people to spend more time outdoors, with the potential to influence the social cohesion of a space and increase economic activity. The wider aim of this research is to develop better understanding of the complex relation between microclimate and human behaviour in open public spaces in hot arid climates. Case studies were carefully selected in two different parts of the world (Marrakech in North Africa and Phoenix-Arizona in North America) to represent a variety of users in similar climatic context. This enabled us to study the effect of the socio-economic and cultural diversity on thermal comfort, behaviour and use of space. Field surveys included structured interviews with a standard questionnaire and observations of the human activities, along with microclimatic monitoring, carried out during winter and summer 2008 and 2009. The analysis consists of the microclimatic influence on the thermal sensation, preference and people attendance; the effect of psychological adaptation on subjective thermal evaluation of outdoor spaces; and finally, investigation of socio-economic and sociocultural impact on behaviour of people in outdoor space.
Architectural Pride and Environmental Prejudice: The effect of personal status, historical value, and indoor décor on occupants indoor environmental quality in offices
This paper reports on an important yet unexplored area of indoor comfort studies, the relationship between historical attributes of buildings, personal values, and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of office spaces. For this study we employed a comparative case study design to assess environmental conditions and occupants’ behavioral responses of a year-long IEQ assessment of office settings inside ten adaptively reused historical palaces in Cairo Egypt. These palaces were selected based on their historical value, indoor décor, and their common mixedmode ventilation system. In addition to subjective IEQ evaluations by occupants, physical measurements of the settings’ layout, temperature, relative humidity, lighting intensities, air flow rates, and noise levels of the indoor office spaces were recorded during both the winter and summer seasons respectively. Focused interviews, questionnaires, field notes and occupants’ comfort diaries were used systematically to evaluate the occupants’ response towards their office environmental quality. The results of this investigation support the proposition that latent and symbolic qualities of the environment such as pride, status, historical value, and indoor décor attributes affect the overall perceived physical qualities of the environment in offices and workspaces. The findings provide both substantive and context specific knowledge to aid engineers, architects, and planners interested in the study topic.