ZEMCH 2015 - International Conference Proceedings | Page 856

Indoor environmental quality is a wide context that covers various specialised elements and is not limited to the aspects of air quality , thermal comfort , and acoustics that are discussed in this paper . Lighting configurations are also an integral aspect of creating efficient work environments .
Conclusion
Indoor environmental quality is highly complex as it considers a wide range of interlinked aspects . This paper considers some of these elements such as indoor air quality , thermal comfort and acoustics within workplaces . Through an extensive literature review , a range of papers have been studied to understand the impact of these elements on occupant health , comfort , performance and productivity . A series of solutions are then studied which can be easily integrated within the indoor environment , especially if it was carried out from the early design stages in the project . Understanding the health and economic benefits associated with creating such viable environments is crucial in implementing such practices as an industry standard .
While there is a large body of evidence for the indoor environmental quality of work spaces in American and European cities , similar research within the context of the Middle East is quite limited . Since occupants in air conditioned buildings express greater dissatisfaction with their indoor environment , it would be interesting to see occupant responses to IEQ in offices in the Middle East , as almost all the buildings are mechanically ventilated . Similarly , most of the strategies in this study are selected based on ease of integration and cost efficiency , and it does not consider some of the psychosocial strategies such as indoor landscaping . The effects of adopting such alternatives within the indoor environment to improve health and well-being can also be studied .
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854 ZEMCH 2015 | International Conference | Bari - Lecce , Italy