Previous studies have shown that indoor environmental quality (IEQ) parameters may have a considerable effect on office employees’ comfort, health and performance. Therefore, we initiated a research program to help occupants identify IEQ parameters they perceive as risk factors for their health in an office and enhance their comfort levels in an office environment. Since we assumed that office employees might have different indoor environmental quality expectations related to their work area and that these differences could be measured, our objective was to develop an office ‘comfort map’ based on occupants’ individual IEQ preferences. Thus, the goal of the comfort map would be to help tailor office spaces to their occupants’ health and comfort expectations. The comfort survey was developed to assess the comfort-related opinions of the occupants, based on IEQ parameters (visual comfort, acoustic comfort, air quality and thermal comfort) of a chosen open-plan office building. The survey also assessed the degree to which the given IEQ parameter was considered a health risk factor by occupants or caused a negative comfort sensation for them. The survey was filled in by 216 occupants. The answers were then analyzed with the help of a frequency table depicting relative frequency. The measurements of IEQ parameters took place in an open-plan office in the chosen office building (a Hungarian subsidiary’s office building belonging to an international company in Budapest). The occupants had different opinions regarding the perceived effects of the IEQ parameters on their health and comfort. Almost two-thirds of the respondents (64.8%) were dissatisfied with the adjustability of the noises and sounds IEQ parameter at their workstation. Furthermore, half of the respondents (50.1%) were dissatisfied with the adjustability of ventilation. Most of the occupants (45.8%) considered noises and sounds as the IEQ parameter that had a negative effect on their health. There were also IEQ differences between different areas of the office space. Based on these results, a comfort map was developed for the office. The comfort map contains information about the IEQ characteristics of each workstation by depicting the thermal comfort, carbon dioxide, visual comfort and acoustic comfort characteristics of a given workstation on a relative scale. Based on the thermal, air, acoustic, and lighting differences between the workstations, occupants can select their preferred workstations when a desk-sharing system works. Although still in its pilot phase, the comfort map could increase the chances for office employees to find the workstation best suited to their IEQ expectations. This could improve occupants’ overall comfort level, which could in turn enhance occupants’ productivity and mental as well as physical health.

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Today, half of the world's population lives in cities, which could reach 75% by 2050. Expanding urban areas will increasingly impact the already strained natural habitats, thus, economically and ecologically advantageous housing solutions are needed. This paper presents the research on a sustainable urban residential building concept that addresses this need. To ensure affordability, prefabrication and mass production were adopted, resulting in a unique, non-monotonous structural concept that is adaptable to different living unit sizes and layouts. A modular system was developed consisting of a basic living unit, which defines interior spaces, furniture, and structures. The modules can be placed next to each other to satisfy the needs of people for various living spaces. by carefully choosing a module size, enough combinations can be created, and individual solutions can be prefabricated. This system can also be produced in a large-scale that too in an eco-friendly way by utilizing novel building materials. Cross-laminated timber and timber-concrete composites were found to be the ideal choices for the walls and the slabs, respectively, as both are easily prefabricated, thereby decreasing the ecological footprint of the project. In addition, the building's vertical size is efficiently maximized to seven living levels, while still keeping it human-scale in an urban setting. This new modularity, as described, provides a sustainable answer to the challenge of expanding urban living.

In the last decade, the percentage of the Hungarian population that live in cities has risen to 69.5%-a percentage which is increasing. This trend will cause housing problems that should be solved in an eco-friendly and economically efficient way. In Hungary, there are options to transform the existing building stock built in the last century, but these solutions have their limits. Alternatives have to be found for designing new residential buildings. The aim of this research is to create a design concept that addresses all aspects of sustainability. The paper presents the structural system derived from a complex sustainability analysis that is at the core of the developed concept. The structural system and the functionality of a building in its current state have certain lifespans. Finding the balance between these lifespans is key to achieving higher sustainability. The social trends and the technological development can modify the needs for a certain building functionality, and, therefore the building will have to be adapted. The possibilities of buildings adaptation were examined through typical Hungarian house types. The study revealed the limitations caused by fixed structural systems and emphasized the importance of structural flexibility. Through examining the existing building stock, a proposal was developed for future housing solutions in Hungary. To ensure the affordability of the system, a prefabricated and a modular system was selected. The resulting concept of an apartment building with high adaptability for an urban setting are discussed. Both new and traditional structural systems were taken into consideration in finding a balance between the functional and structural lifespan. With these building concepts, a possible solution is provided to the upcoming demographic changes, while keeping our ecological footprint small.

The Roissypole is a complex residential area within Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. There are already accommodations of different levels with bars, cafes and more in this area, but there is a lack of simple connection between existing buildings, which help brings life to the outside atmosphere. The proposed concept is not a simple public facility renew instead of a new social and functional design, which is to reinvent the airport region design to transform the Roissypole district into an appealing enjoyable and lively living environment. While enhancing the life quality for both long and short-term residents, for people to share their life, live in an active way, it also provides passive life and initiative social activities, which form a new lifestyle.