Evaluating daylighting effectiveness and occupant visual comfort in a side-lit open-plan office building in San Francisco, California

The introduction of daylight to reduce electrical lighting energy consumption and to enhance Indoor Environmental Quality is one of the most common claims made for commercial office buildings promoted as “sustainable,” “energy efficient,” “green,” or “high performance.”  However, daylit buildings are rarely studied in use to examine the impact of design strategies on visual comfort, or to examine how occupant modifications to the facade may reduce daylighting effectiveness and visual connection to the outdoors.   This paper presents key findings from a post-occupancy study of a side-lit open-plan office building located in San Francisco, California.  The study examines daylighting performance over daily and seasonal changes in sun and sky conditions in core and perimeter zones of the building.  Daylighting performance is assessed through measurements of electrical lighting energy, observations of occupant modifications to the facade, and physical measurements of interior lighting conditions paired with occupant subjective assessments using novel desktop polling station devices.  Results show a high frequency of visual discomfort responses at both perimeter and core workspaces and observations reveal a large percentage of facade glazing covered by interior shading devices.   Despite the significant reduction in effective visible light transmission, occupants working in the perimeter zones generally considered the levels of available daylight to be sufficient, even when daylight levels were below recommended thresholds for daylight autonomy.  Issues related to the daylighting design strategies are discussed in regard to improving the performance of future daylit buildings and refining daylighting design criteria

Drivers for implementing green building technologies : an international survey of experts

2016-2017 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journal201804_a bcm

Chapter 19 Noise pollution and its impact on human health and the environment

This chapter deals with (1) the basic theory of sound propagation; (2) an overview of noise pollution problem in view of policy and standards by the World Health Organization, the United States, and the European Union; (3) noise exposure sources from aircraft, road traffic and railways, in-vehicle, work, and construction sites, and occupations, and households; (4) the noise pollution impact on human health and the biological environment; (5) modeling of regional noise-affected habitats in protected and unprotected land areas and the marine environment; (6) noise control measures and sustainability in view of sustainable building design, noise mapping, and control measures such as barriers and berms along roadsides, acoustic building materials, roadway vehicle noise source control, road surface, and pavement materials; and (7) environmental noise pollution management measures and their impact on human health

Occupant productivity and office indoor environment quality : a review of the literature

The purpose of this paper is to review the existing literature to draw an understanding of the relationship between indoor environmental quality and occupant productivity in an office environment. The study reviews over 300 papers from 67 journals, conference articles and books focusing on indoor environment, occupant comfort, productivity and green buildings. It limits its focus to the physical aspects of an office environment. The literature outlines eight Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) factors that influence occupant productivity in an office environment. It also discusses different physical parameters under each of the IEQ factors. It proposes a conceptual model of different factors affecting occupant productivity. The study also presents a review of the data collection methods utilised by the research studies that aim to investigate the relationship between IEQ and occupant productivity. The study presents a comprehensive discussion and analysis of different IEQ factors that affect occupant productivity. The paper provides a concise starting point for future researchers interested in the area of indoor environmental quality

Green building project management: Obstacles and solutions for sustainable development

10.1002/sd.492Sustainable Development205335-34