International Conference | Bari - Lecce , Italy
Session XII
A REVIEW OF INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY IN OFFICE ENVIRONMENTS
Reeny M . Thomas1 & Hasim Altan1
1 Sustainable Design of the Built Environment , Faculty of Engineering & IT , British University in Dubai , UAE , reenymt @ gmail . com , hasim . altan @ buid . ac . ae
Abstract
As people spend increasing amounts of time within their work environments , it is essential to ensure that office environments are not detrimental towards the health and well-being of the employees . Creating healthy work environments not only reduces health risks , but also has improved levels of work performance and productivity , thereby resulting in economic savings for all parties involved . Although there is an extensive body of research on the effects of indoor environmental quality within office environments , they are often specific to particular aspects . This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of three such aspects within the work environment ; indoor air quality , thermal comfort and acoustics . By conducting an extensive literature review , it is aimed to provide a basic understanding of effectively facilitating these three aspects in creating healthy work environments . A study of indoor air quality in office buildings shows that only 26 % of the buildings tested achieved the minimal occupant satisfaction levels , while merely 11 % of the buildings exceeded it ( Huizenga et al . 2006 ). Occupant control of thermal environments leads to greater satisfaction levels of 76 % compared to 56 % for those without ( C . Huizenga et al . 2006 ). Ambient speech in office environments can result in reduced work efficiency in over 50 % of the occupants ( Jensen & Arens 2005 ). Thus , a clear understanding of these elements of unhealthy indoor environments is a crucial preventive measure for designers . The paper will also consider research of indoor environmental quality of green buildings in order to determine a framework of effective strategies that will enable designers to create efficient office environments right from the initial stages of design . Moreover , this would help to bridge the gap which is often apparent between the research and the practical realm of design and construction .
Keywords
Sustainable Indoor Environments , Offices , Indoor Environmental Quality , Indoor Air Quality , Acoustic Quality .
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