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.

This study exhibits the use of participatory design in the development of a community housing project for the twelve family members of the Donnaville Homeowners Association in Barangay 177, Caloocan City, Philippines. All families have been living as informal settlers of which portions of it were considered unsafe due to recurrent flooding during heavy rains. The housing project study was part of a workshop initiated by members of the Community Architecture Network. In order to achieve this methodology, the community architects arranged workshops between members of the families. The members were divided into teams that worked separately and then collectively identify strategies in improving the design and layout of the housing unit according to the needs of each family. The teams identified various interventions in order to effectively reduce the cost of each new unit. Finally, through comprehensive discussions and exchanges between the members, the resulting layout and schematic design of the housing unit were achieved that was desirable to the families. By using participatory design in the development of a project, in this case, a community housing unit, user acceptance is therefore increased and rejection is reduced by the stakeholders.

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 paper deals with the analysis of the fortified dwellings -Kulla, which were constructed in Kosovo since XVIII-XIX century. As a case study, one took the Kulla, which were constructed in the Plain of Dukagjin. These types of dwellings were not constructed solely in Kosovo, but also in other countries of the region, that is: Northern Albania, Macedonia, and Montenegro. In Kosovo, the major parts of these buildings were constructed in the Plain of Dukagjin. Usually these buildings were constructed in two and three floors.Characteristic feature of these buildings is the division of functions in vertical direction. The research is based on the literature, analysis of the buildings, the research that was done up to now, including the interviewing of the persons-owners of the Kullas.The aim was to get an understanding on the purpose of constructing the Kulla in vertical manner.Kulla was analyzed in functional, architectural, constructive and condition aspect, which it offers to its inhabitants. There are a lot of factors that influenced on the construction of these buildings, one of them being the climate. Kosovo is characterized by a harsh climate during cold season of the year, which influenced on the relatively low height of the floors. Another feature is limited lighting in the ground floor, which increases steadily going further up to the last floor, as well as through the embrasures used for fire arms.