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The purpose of this paper is to research the impact of sustainable office buildings on occupant's comfort and self‐assessed performance and work engagement.

The research consists in an empirical study of 18 office buildings and is based on survey data from almost 1,500 employees.

The study shows that the building itself has a clear impact on the comfort level of the building user. Also, the positive impact of certain features, such as operable windows and the absence of air conditioning, can be clearly identified. While productivity is not directly correlated to comfort levels, work engagement is. Generally, the analysis shows that specific building aspects seem to have an influence on user comfort and with that, also an impact on productivity; however, this impact appears to be limited.

This is a very important insight since this shows the connection between employee and company and thus demonstrates that a high user comfort can reduce the turnover rate of employees. Therefore, additional planning towards user comfort and social sustainability can be shown to yield real returns.

The purpose of this study is to implement environmental control systems; information and communication technologies based on user behavior for smart buildings and describe their definitions, technological advances, advantages and modern uses. It also highlights the complexity and difficulty of energy management and comfort via control devices.

This study reviews recent progress in control, information technologies, sensing and optimization in buildings and addresses the automation and environmental control systems of important parameters such as lighting, noise, temperature and humidity. It also explores the technological innovations and methods of management through sensors based on user behavior for the processes of optimization and control.

A proposed prototype has been developed by the combination of user behavior and control systems in buildings, mainly related to thermal comfort and energy use. This study addresses the development of a smart-comfort control system based on users’ behavior.

The main contribution of this study is the goal-driven development of an indoor quality apparatus for environmental monitoring data by using smart sensor systems. It can help users to monitor and control their environmental factors and provides functionalities for assessing comfortable ranges.

This paper highlights the importance of user satisfaction in office renovation. A user-focussed renovation approach can enhance user satisfaction in offices and their functional quality while meeting energy performance goals. The purpose of this paper is to investigate users’ needs and the physical and psychological factors affecting user satisfaction, as input to office renovation projects.

The selected articles are collected from Scopus, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar. Searching was limited to the main key terms of office, work environment, and user satisfaction and comfort. The important factors were searched through empirical-based international literature mainly. Based hereupon, a guide will be developed for the analysis and evaluation of user satisfaction in office renovations.

From a comprehensive overview, the findings present ten main factors to increase user satisfaction in office renovation. These are associated with physical and psychological satisfaction and comfort. In addition, the influential factors were categorised into three levels based on needs theories to organise the hierarchy of priorities.

This research adds to the body of knowledge about which factors are important for user satisfaction, based on what previous research has found in that field. This is important to improve the sustainability in use.

User satisfaction is often studied through separate aspects: health and indoor climate vs functionality and productivity. This paper examines overall user satisfaction of workplaces by integrating the perspectives of physical and psychological conditions, and by providing insight into the priority of satisfaction factors.

The heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems are responsible for a significant proportion of the energy consumption of the built environment, on which the occupant's pursuit of thermal comfort has a substantial impact. Regarding this concern, current software can assess and visualize the conditions. However; integration of existing technologies and real-time information could enhance the potential of the solution proposals. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to explore new possibilities of how to upgrade building information modeling (BIM) technology to be interactive; by using existing BIM data during the occupation phase. Moreover, the research discusses the potential of enhancing energy efficiency and comfort maximization together by using the existing BIM database and real-time information concomitantly.

The platform is developed by designing and testing via prototyping method thanks to Internet of things technologies. The algorithm of the prototype uses real-time indoor thermal information and real-time weather information together with user's body temperature. Moreover, the platform processes the thermal values with specific material information from the existing BIM file. The final prototype is tested by a case study model.

The outcome of the study, “Symbiotic Data Platform” is an occupant-operated tool, that has a hardware, software and unique Revit-Dynamo definition that implies to all BIM files.

The paper explains the development of “Symbiotic Data Platform”, which presents an interactive phase for BIM, as creating a possibility to use the existing BIM database and real-time values during the occupation phase, which is operated by the occupants of the building; without requiring any prior knowledge upon any of the BIM software or IoT technology.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of locally-produced architectural design solutions for the provision of thermal comfort in the vernacular settlements of Mardin, Turkey.

With an aim of extracting clues of climate responsive design, the paper develops a socio-technical assessment methodology and presents a comparative inquiry between the vernacular and contemporary built environments of Mardin.

Findings display that the capacity of vernacular architecture in providing a more climate responsive living environment than contemporary one is in fact correlated with the design of living spaces in harmony with the local climatic conditions as well as how inhabitants traditionally use and behave in designed space.

The paper argues for a need for (re)conceptualization of thermal comfort within and through the production of housing, as well as by taking into account the ways in which end-users interact, adapt and sustain end-users' everyday life in accordance with the local climatic characteristics.

The main axes of this study, which is differentiated from contemporary architecture studies as the first academic work in the scope of post-occupancy evaluation floating spaces, are based on evaluating the spatial satisfaction and the meeting of these expectations by its users. A post-occupancy evaluation (POE) yielded a dataset of 117 yacht-users for whom demographic information, activities, and length-of-stay were recorded. This paper reports the study conducted on 78 yachts in Turkey, focusing particularly on the physical design features. The questionnaire is based on the observation and applied as post-occupancy evaluation on the examples of yachts from Turkey. It also questions the effect of the sea on the spatial perception and evaluates the user satisfaction of the interiors and exteriors of yacht spaces. Assessment on the physical design of yacht interiors from the perspective of the staff and the owner is the method to understand their expectation, preferences and experiences. In addition, the satisfaction of different user groups and general evaluation of spaces are explained within the graphics that include the data and analysis which are obtained from the interviews. Empirical results indicate that different user categories (owner and staff) that are presented in the scope of the post-occupancy evaluations (POE) have different satisfaction levels. Findings of this study demonstrate that the difference of satisfaction levels between the users caused different space needs and expectations from their spaces. Although floating spaces have unconventional environmental specifications from the terra architecture, high level of satisfaction in yachts shows that the floating spaces should be evaluated with the scope of their spatial characteristics, in consequence of the spatial perception on the sea and the psychological concepts. In conclusion, the management implications of the study are discussed.

A walking assistant robot can help elderly people walk around independently, which could improve the life quality of the elderly and benefit our aging society. Ensuring the elderly person's walking comfort with such a robot is very important. At present, the majority of walking assistant robot research does not focus on this field. The purpose of this paper is to examine the requirements of comfortable walking and outline the design of a motion control algorithm for a walking assistant robot, Walkmate III, based on comfort.

During walking, the walking assistant robot should be able to capture the intent of user, guide the user and move at the same pace as the user. Usually, force or haptic interface is used to detect the user's walking intention. The motion control system then transforms the forces applied by the user into the robot's motion. By surveying the elderly people at a nursing home, the authors find that this transformation is important to the walking comfortableness and should be carefully designed. In this paper, the model of walking assisting process with such kind of walking assistant robot is derived at first. Based on this model, a new motion control algorithm is then designed.

The elderly hoped that, in all topographic conditions, only small forces were needed to drive the walker during walking. Also, good maneuverability was also very important for a walker, to offer the user comfort, which meant the walking assistant robot should be able to respond to the input forces quickly and precisely. Currently widely‐used motion control algorithms cannot satisfy all those requirements. In this paper, a new motion control algorithm is proposed, which can get a fast and precise response to the input forces and the input forces needed to drive the robot are kept at a preferred small level, so that the user will not feel tired during walking. Furthermore, by modifying, force feedback can be realized to improve the comfortableness of walking.

The availability of walking assistant robot with improved walking comfortableness might encourage a wider adoption of robotics in our daily life. It could also benefit our aging society by improving the life quality of the elderly and reducing the pressure deriving from nursing labor shortages.

This paper is of value to engineers and researchers developing walking assistant robots for the elderly people.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the thermal environment of two engineering testing centres cooled via different means using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), focussing on the indoor temperature and air movement. This computational technique has been used in the analysis of thermal environment in buildings where the profiles of thermal comfort parameters, such as air temperature and velocity, are studied.

A pilot survey was conducted at two engineering testing centres – a passively cooled workshop and an air-conditioned laboratory. Electronic sensors were used in addition to building design documentation to collect the required information for the CFD model–based prediction of air temperature and velocity distribution patterns for the laboratory and workshop. In the models, both laboratory and workshop were presumed to be fully occupied. The predictions were then compared to empirical data that were obtained from field measurements. Operative temperature and predicted mean vote (PMV)–predicted percentage dissatisfied (PPD) indices were calculated in each case in order to predict thermal comfort levels.

The simulated results indicated that the mean air temperatures of 21.5°C and 32.4°C in the laboratory and workshop, respectively, were in excess of the recommended thermal comfort ranges specified in MS1525, a local energy efficiency guideline for non-residential buildings. However, air velocities above 0.3 m/s were predicted in the two testing facilities, which would be acceptable to most occupants. Based on the calculated PMV derived from the CFD predictions, the thermal sensation of users of the air-conditioned laboratory was predicted as −1.7 where a “slightly cool” thermal experience would prevail, but machinery operators in the workshop would find their thermal environment too warm with an overall sensation score of 2.4. A comparison of the simulated and empirical results showed that the air temperatures were in good agreement with a percentage of difference below 2%. However, the level of correlation was not replicated for the air velocity results, owing to uncertainties in the selected boundary conditions, which was due to limitations in the measuring instrumentation used.

Due to the varying designs, the simulated results of this study are only applicable to laboratory and workshop facilities located in the tropics.

The results of this study will enable building services and air-conditioning engineers, especially those who are in charge of the air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation (ACMV) system design and maintenance to have a better understanding of the thermal environment and comfort conditions in the testing facilities, leading to a more effective technical and managerial planning for an optimised thermal comfort management. The method of this work can be extended to the development of CFD models for other testing facilities in educational institutions.

The findings of this work are particularly useful for both industry and academia as the indoor environment of real engineering testing facilities were simulated and analysed. Students and staff in the higher educational institutions would benefit from the improved thermal comfort conditions in these facilities.

For the time being, CFD studies have been carried out to evaluate thermal comfort conditions in various building spaces. However, the information of thermal comfort in the engineering testing centres, of particular those in the hot–humid region are scantily available. The outcomes of this simulation work showed the usefulness of CFD in assisting the management of such facilities not only in the design of efficient ACMV systems but also in enhancing indoor thermal comfort.

This study aims at unpacking the multiplicity of the sitting activity in public spaces through the lens of actor-network theory. In line with previous urban research focussing on outdoor activities, such empirical investigation aims to show the importance of the physical aspects of spaces, including seating, in supporting sitting activities as a way of encouraging the use of public space.

This study adopts the overlap between actor–network theory and affordances. It utilises ethnographic research involving frequent users in Dahiyat Al Hussein Park in Amman-Jordan. Data were gathered on the different seat–user relations and the translated sitting activity networks.

Analysis demonstrates different cases of alignment, misalignment and realignment between what is intended and experienced, and where these relations are maintained, disrupted or changed. These findings reveal the multiplicity of sitting activities; this is significant for understanding how they are maintained.

The research suggests a new way of conceptualising the relationship between the physical environment and users and an approach for examining sitting activities. Some studies have applied actor–network theory and/or the concept of “affordance” by highlighting relations between the object and its user and how they create sitting activities. However, only few studies have problematised the multiplicity of sitting when considering seating uses.

This paper aims to identify user-centred facilities performance attributes of higher education buildings and how they can be used to evaluate individual learning spaces. These attributes are then consolidated for developing a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) framework in this context.

A systematic review of the literature on the POE of higher education buildings is conducted.

This study identifies 36 facility performance attributes in higher education buildings, which can be categorised into four dimensions: ambient; spatial; technology; and building support and services requirements. These facility performance attributes need to meet user requirements to achieve satisfactory feedback. It is also important to note that user requirements differ from one learning space to another; thus, it is essential to consider the characteristics of individual learning spaces.

The proposed evaluation framework is context-based and may not be suitable to evaluate other types of buildings. It may be further extended and enhanced to meet other facility management evaluation needs.

The POE framework developed in this research can be used to generate facilities management analytic to inform future design and improve existing higher education facilities.

This research has developed a holistic POE framework tool to meet user requirements in higher education buildings.