1,727 research outputs found

    Impact of design factors on user satisfaction

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    Personal control was one of the influential parameters for user satisfaction presented in chapter 5. Personal control is not related to architectural office design, and in this thesis it is not associated with privacy and communication with colleagues. Thermal and visual comfort is analysed exhaustively in this chapter. Psychological comfort is an extra parameter for user satisfaction studies since the design factors such as office layout could be correlated to privacy, communication and so on. As a next step, chapter 6 investigates influential office design factors on user satisfaction related to thermal, visual, and psychological comfort and predicting which design factors may bring better satisfaction to users. Section 6.2 presents design factors affecting user satisfaction based on literature review. Five office cases in the Netherlands with 579 office occupants were studied using questionnaires, and interviews with facility managers and architects (section 6.3). Different statistical analysis tests were conducted to summarise satisfaction factors (section 6.4). The relative importance of design factors is described in section 6.5, and a regression analysis was used to predict profound outcomes in section 6.6

    Modelling the relationship between urban form and social sustainability in Malaysian cities : access to local services and public facilities

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    This research concerned to establish the relationship between urban form and social sustainabilityin two Malaysian cities. Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya are the two cities selected purposely as the case study cities because of their distinctive characteristics. Specifically, this research looks in detail at the aspect of access to local services and facilities according to different aspects of urban form, such as density, building/ housing type, land use mix and layout. Urban form elements such as mixed land use and density appear to have significant impact on access and usage pattern of certain local services and facilities located within the case study cities (Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya). Another important factor towards higher access to services and facilities within the neighbourhood is the respondents‘ perceptions of mobility. Aspects of safety also impact on the access and usage pattern of the respondents towards the services and local facilities within their local neighbourhood. However, satisfaction towards the neighbourhood does not influence the access or usage pattern of the local services and facilities. The research provides one of the first attempts to investigate the relationship between urban form and its impact upon social sustainability in Malaysian cities., It exposes local issues and problems related to the access and usage of local services and facilities within residential neighbourhoods which corresponds with issues highlighted in the National Urbanisation Policy (NUP) (Federal Department of Town and Country Planning Peninsular Malaysia, 2006). Findings suggest that local planning authorities should ensure that residential neighbourhood/ developments are well connected to local services and facilities – by improving public transport & pedestrian networks. It is also important that neighbourhood safety is properly addressed

    Overview of Multi-Objective Optimization Approaches in Construction Project Management

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    The difficulties that are met in construction projects include budget issues, contractual time constraints, complying with sustainability rating systems, meeting local building codes, and achieving the desired quality level, to name but a few. Construction researchers have proposed and construction practitioners have used optimization strategies to meet various objectives over the years. They started out by optimizing one objective at a time (e.g., minimizing construction cost) while disregarding others. Because the objectives of construction projects often conflict with each other, single-objective optimization does not offer practical solutions as optimizing one objective would often adversely affect the other objectives that are not being optimized. They then experimented with multi-objective optimization. The many multi-objective optimization approaches that they used have their own advantages and drawbacks when used in some scenarios with different sets of objectives. In this chapter, a review is presented of 16 multi-objective optimization approaches used in 55 research studies performed in the construction industry and that were published in the period 2012–2016. The discussion highlights the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches when used in different scenarios

    Energy-Efficient Office Renovation:

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    This research aims to develop user-focused design principles for energy-efficient office renovations. The goal of this is to improve the quality and comfort of workspaces without compromising on energy-saving goals. Due to increasing sustainability requirements, new ways of working and changing office user preferences, there is a growing need for office renovations that not only deal with the energy performance and the replacement of building facilities, but also the occupants’ health and well-being. The renovation of office buildings can substantially reduce energy demand and improve building performance. For this reason, most studies regarding office renovations have focused on achieving better energy performance and indoor environmental quality. Also, several studies have investigated employee satisfaction in the work environment. However, the users are only considered after the buildings have been built and taken into use (e.g., postoccupancy evaluation), but not in the early stage of the design phase. Although there are building regulations and norms regarding indoor comfort, no clear design principles or guidelines considering users have been developed for office renovations. Therefore, it is necessary to explore how office users can be included in the early design stage of office renovations to improve their comfort and satisfaction. This led to the following main research question to be answered in this thesis: How can design principles for energy efficient office renovation be developed, based on the evaluation of user satisfaction? To answer to this question, field studies were conducted in 5 office buildings in the Netherlands. The cases consist of four renovated offices and one non-renovated office, originally built in 1960s to 70s. Before conducting empirical studies, a literature was conducted that is implemented in the theoretical framework. Ten parameters for satisfaction, such as thermal comfort, air quality, light, noise, personal control, privacy, concentration, communication, social contact, and territoriality, were defined and were classified based on the findings from 124 items of studies focussing on physical and psychological satisfaction in the work environment. Each chapter and several sub-research questions address these parameters. Based on the findings, a classification of user satisfaction parameters is proposed, including a discussion about an hierarchy of ten parameters. This hierarchy is structured based on theoretical definitions of parameters and its physical, functional, and psychological influences.  For the empirical studies, a multidisciplinary methodology was applied to prioritise the important aspects of office renovations. The various methods for data collection and analyses included examining energy use and the quality of indoor climate after renovation, and investigating the impact of design factors on user satisfaction with thermal, visual, and psychological comfort. The design factors in this research are influential design factors on user satisfaction. These are office layout, orientation, window-to-wall ratio, and desk location. The empirical studies are structured in four parts. Energy consumption As a preliminary study, architects and facility managers were interviewed to identify the building characteristics of renovated offices and energy consumption. Henceforth, the five case studies were conducted. A cross-case-analysis was used to compare the building characteristics of the five case studies. The energy consumption of renovated and non-renovated offices were compared by different energy matrix. In addition, the limitations that hinder the achievement of better energy performance, were described. Indoor climate and users’ thermal comfort Indoor temperature and humidity were measured by using data loggers to identify the condition of the indoor climate for users’ thermal comfort after renovation. A questionnaire, including thermal sensation, preference, and satisfaction, was distributed among the building users. The monitored climate data of the thermal conditions were evaluated based on the Dutch building norms and users’ responses. Personal control This part aims to identify the relationship between the degree of personal control over indoor environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, ventilation, light) and user satisfaction with thermal and visual comfort. This study investigated the impact of personal control on user satisfaction through user surveys and statistical analyses. The results present that higher controllability leads to more satisfaction in terms of thermal and visual comfort. It also reveals the psychological impact of personal control on user satisfaction by showing differences in perceived satisfaction according to ‘no control’ and ‘do not have’. These findings provide support to workplace management and the design of personal environmental control systems. User satisfaction with thermal, visual, and psychological comfort Together with the indoor climate conditions of workspaces, 579 office users from the five cases were studied. The responses of the users were collected and analysed through statistical analyses. This study phase demonstrates the results of the impact of influential office design factors on user satisfaction with thermal, visual, and psychological comfort. It also contributes to predicting which design variables may bring better user satisfaction. After the empirical studies, the conceptual study was conducted through energy simulation to evaluate the impact of the combination of design factors on the energy demand. Twenty-four office model variants were created based on the combination of design factors, which are consisted of 3 or 4 variables. The energy demand is predicted according to the office model variants. As a next step, the design principles were developed by incorporating the previous findings and various perspectives of energy-efficient office renovation. An overview of the predicted user satisfaction and energy demand is graphically provided in this research. Based hereupon, a flow chart is created for applying the principles to the renovation process. First, the most influential design factors on thermal, visual, and psychological satisfaction are suggested in the design principles. Next, the values of predicted user satisfaction and energy demand can be evaluated by following the flow chart, to find the optimal renovation plan. In this step renovation alternatives are suggested in terms of office variants to create a balance between user satisfaction and energy efficiency. Last, if design limitations occur, the degree of personal control should be included to increase user satisfaction. The comprehensive design principles can help architects, designers, and facility managers to make design decisions in an early stage of office renovations. To summarise, this research demonstrates the relationship between design factors, indoor climate and user satisfaction, without neglecting the fundamental goal of office renovation: reducing the energy demand, upgrading facilities, and improving building performance. It also contributes to developing design principles for office renovations with integrated user perspectives, that improve users’ satisfaction and comfort, as well as energy efficiency. Although users’ individual control over the indoor environment has a significant impact on satisfaction, it needs to be explored further. In addition, it is important to mention that other variables such as building elements and various façade configurations need to be included in further research. In conclusion, design principles considering both energy efficiency and user satisfaction will not only contribute to an increase in the value of a building, but also serve as a stepping stone for user-focused office designs or user-related aspects of the built environment

    Energy-Efficient Office Renovation

    Get PDF
    This research aims to develop user-focused design principles for energy-efficient office renovations. The goal of this is to improve the quality and comfort of workspaces without compromising on energy-saving goals. Due to increasing sustainability requirements, new ways of working and changing office user preferences, there is a growing need for office renovations that not only deal with the energy performance and the replacement of building facilities, but also the occupants’ health and well-being. The renovation of office buildings can substantially reduce energy demand and improve building performance. For this reason, most studies regarding office renovations have focused on achieving better energy performance and indoor environmental quality. Also, several studies have investigated employee satisfaction in the work environment. However, the users are only considered after the buildings have been built and taken into use (e.g., postoccupancy evaluation), but not in the early stage of the design phase. Although there are building regulations and norms regarding indoor comfort, no clear design principles or guidelines considering users have been developed for office renovations. Therefore, it is necessary to explore how office users can be included in the early design stage of office renovations to improve their comfort and satisfaction. This led to the following main research question to be answered in this thesis: How can design principles for energy efficient office renovation be developed, based on the evaluation of user satisfaction? To answer to this question, field studies were conducted in 5 office buildings in the Netherlands. The cases consist of four renovated offices and one non-renovated office, originally built in 1960s to 70s. Before conducting empirical studies, a literature was conducted that is implemented in the theoretical framework. Ten parameters for satisfaction, such as thermal comfort, air quality, light, noise, personal control, privacy, concentration, communication, social contact, and territoriality, were defined and were classified based on the findings from 124 items of studies focussing on physical and psychological satisfaction in the work environment. Each chapter and several sub-research questions address these parameters. Based on the findings, a classification of user satisfaction parameters is proposed, including a discussion about an hierarchy of ten parameters. This hierarchy is structured based on theoretical definitions of parameters and its physical, functional, and psychological influences.  For the empirical studies, a multidisciplinary methodology was applied to prioritise the important aspects of office renovations. The various methods for data collection and analyses included examining energy use and the quality of indoor climate after renovation, and investigating the impact of design factors on user satisfaction with thermal, visual, and psychological comfort. The design factors in this research are influential design factors on user satisfaction. These are office layout, orientation, window-to-wall ratio, and desk location. The empirical studies are structured in four parts. Energy consumption As a preliminary study, architects and facility managers were interviewed to identify the building characteristics of renovated offices and energy consumption. Henceforth, the five case studies were conducted. A cross-case-analysis was used to compare the building characteristics of the five case studies. The energy consumption of renovated and non-renovated offices were compared by different energy matrix. In addition, the limitations that hinder the achievement of better energy performance, were described. Indoor climate and users’ thermal comfort Indoor temperature and humidity were measured by using data loggers to identify the condition of the indoor climate for users’ thermal comfort after renovation. A questionnaire, including thermal sensation, preference, and satisfaction, was distributed among the building users. The monitored climate data of the thermal conditions were evaluated based on the Dutch building norms and users’ responses. Personal control This part aims to identify the relationship between the degree of personal control over indoor environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, ventilation, light) and user satisfaction with thermal and visual comfort. This study investigated the impact of personal control on user satisfaction through user surveys and statistical analyses. The results present that higher controllability leads to more satisfaction in terms of thermal and visual comfort. It also reveals the psychological impact of personal control on user satisfaction by showing differences in perceived satisfaction according to ‘no control’ and ‘do not have’. These findings provide support to workplace management and the design of personal environmental control systems. User satisfaction with thermal, visual, and psychological comfort Together with the indoor climate conditions of workspaces, 579 office users from the five cases were studied. The responses of the users were collected and analysed through statistical analyses. This study phase demonstrates the results of the impact of influential office design factors on user satisfaction with thermal, visual, and psychological comfort. It also contributes to predicting which design variables may bring better user satisfaction. After the empirical studies, the conceptual study was conducted through energy simulation to evaluate the impact of the combination of design factors on the energy demand. Twenty-four office model variants were created based on the combination of design factors, which are consisted of 3 or 4 variables. The energy demand is predicted according to the office model variants. As a next step, the design principles were developed by incorporating the previous findings and various perspectives of energy-efficient office renovation. An overview of the predicted user satisfaction and energy demand is graphically provided in this research. Based hereupon, a flow chart is created for applying the principles to the renovation process. First, the most influential design factors on thermal, visual, and psychological satisfaction are suggested in the design principles. Next, the values of predicted user satisfaction and energy demand can be evaluated by following the flow chart, to find the optimal renovation plan. In this step renovation alternatives are suggested in terms of office variants to create a balance between user satisfaction and energy efficiency. Last, if design limitations occur, the degree of personal control should be included to increase user satisfaction. The comprehensive design principles can help architects, designers, and facility managers to make design decisions in an early stage of office renovations. To summarise, this research demonstrates the relationship between design factors, indoor climate and user satisfaction, without neglecting the fundamental goal of office renovation: reducing the energy demand, upgrading facilities, and improving building performance. It also contributes to developing design principles for office renovations with integrated user perspectives, that improve users’ satisfaction and comfort, as well as energy efficiency. Although users’ individual control over the indoor environment has a significant impact on satisfaction, it needs to be explored further. In addition, it is important to mention that other variables such as building elements and various façade configurations need to be included in further research. In conclusion, design principles considering both energy efficiency and user satisfaction will not only contribute to an increase in the value of a building, but also serve as a stepping stone for user-focused office designs or user-related aspects of the built environment

    The Nursing Practice Environment And Job Outcomes In Saudi Hospitals

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    The nursing shortage is a challenging problem globally. In Saudi Arabia, the nurse shortage continues to be a critical problem in all healthcare sectors. International nursing research has shown strong relationships between poor practice environments and unfavorable nurse job outcomes, including job dissatisfaction, burnout, and intention to leave, which often precedes turnover, a leading cause of shortage. However, there is scarcity in this area of research in Saudi Arabia. This study aims to describe and compare the nursing practice environments and nurse job-related outcomes of nurses in two types of hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the study aims to test a model that links the nursing practice environment to nurse job outcomes using path analysis. A comparative cross-sectional design was employed to examine a sample of nurses (n=404) from inpatient units in a public and a teaching hospital. A survey instrument was designed that included the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, the Emotional Exhaustion subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and questions related to job dissatisfaction and intention to leave. Results showed that the nursing practice environment and nurse job outcomes in the teaching hospital were more favorable than those in the public hospital. In the entire sample, approximately half (52.7 %) of the participants had a high level of burnout, 38.7% were dissatisfied, and 25.8% intended to leave within a year. In the public hospital, the percentages were 80.8% burned out, 64.7% dissatisfied, and 33.2 intended to leave as compared to 26%, 15.8%, and 19.2% respectively in the teaching hospital. The results of path analysis showed that both nursing practice environments and hospital type (public vs. teaching) have significant effects on burnout and job dissatisfaction, which in turn increase the intention to leave. Hospital type has also a direct effect on intention to leave. This study presents a good- fitted model that provides a better understanding of the relationship between nursing practice environment and nurse job outcomes in Saudi hospitals. This knowledge will help nurse leaders and policy makers develop retention strategies to improve nursing practice environments and job-related outcomes and to reduce turnover

    Cluster Data Analysis with a Fuzzy Equivalence Relation to Substantiate a Medical Diagnosis

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    This study aims to develop a methodology for the justification of medical diagnostic decisions based on the clustering of large volumes of statistical information stored in decision support systems. This aim is relevant since the analyzed medical data are often incomplete and inaccurate, negatively affecting the correctness of medical diagnosis and the subsequent choice of the most effective treatment actions. Clustering is an effective mathematical tool for selecting useful information under conditions of initial data uncertainty. The analysis showed that the most appropriate algorithm to solve the problem is based on fuzzy clustering and fuzzy equivalence relation. The methods of the present study are based on the use of this algorithm forming the technique of analyzing large volumes of medical data due to prepare a rationale for making medical diagnostic decisions. The proposed methodology involves the sequential implementation of the following procedures: preliminary data preparation, selecting the purpose of cluster data analysis, determining the form of results presentation, data normalization, selection of criteria for assessing the quality of the solution, application of fuzzy data clustering, evaluation of the sample, results and their use in further work. Fuzzy clustering quality evaluation criteria include partition coefficient, entropy separation criterion, separation efficiency ratio, and cluster power criterion. The novelty of the results of this article is related to the fact that the proposed methodology makes it possible to work with clusters of arbitrary shape and missing centers, which is impossible when using universal algorithms. Doi: 10.28991/esj-2021-01305 Full Text: PD

    Excel Data Analysis

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    Spreadsheets have become as commonplace as calculators in data analysis and decision making. In this chapter, we explore the value and importance of building decision-making models with Excel. We also consider the characteristics that make spreadsheetsuseful,notonlyforourselves,butforotherswithwhomwecollaborate
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