An indoor environmental quality assessment of office spaces at an urban Australian university

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a comprehensive indoor environmental quality (IEQ) evaluation conducted in seven office buildings at an Australian university. A mix of objective and subjective assessments was carried out and a total of 519 staff participated in the survey from various non-academic departments. Three types of buildings were included in this study: 'Heritage listed' (c.1880-1890s), 'Conventional' (c.1960 and 'Modern' (post 2000) office buildings. Although the measured IEQ conditions were relatively good with no significant fluctuation across the selected buildings, the discrepancy between objective IEQ data and subjective occupant evaluations was noted. The Modern building type designed with fully double-glazed façades showed the highest levels of overall comfort and satisfaction and perceived productivity, whereas the Conventional building type constructed during the late 20th-century period, notable for deep floor plates, had the lowest. The heritage listed type buildings had lower window to wall ratios, yet displayed improved occupant satisfaction across all IEQ areas over the conventional type buildings. The results support that building renovation and regular maintenance can improve occupant comfort and satisfaction within offices. The findings could be useful for property managers looking for strategies to improve the performance of their building stock.

Post-Occupancy Evaluation’s (POE) Applications for Improving Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ)

“…In [ 51 , 52 ], they developed an integrated occupant psychological response score, based on the activities of 22 experimental participants and changes in the IEQ conditions. The authors of [ 53 , 54 ] analyzed the context of commercial buildings in Australia, evaluating the ways to improve occupant satisfaction through better indoor conditions. In [ 55 ], the effect of library interiors on occupant satisfaction and performance was assessed by the authors.…”

“…Likewise, the authors of [ 115 ] applied CO 2 measurements as an air quality indicator to assess energy-certified buildings. The authors of [ 54 ] also used this indicator to assess the quality of office space at an Australian urban university. In [ 163 ], the authors verified occupants’ satisfaction with the indoor environment at work, through the qualitative assessment of indoor air quality.…”

Exploring green office buildings at Sebelas Maret University: A study on students’ perception

“…Improving the efficiency of building stock can be achieved through the implementation of building restoration and regular maintenance. This is especially important for older buildings, which may have lower window-to-wall ratios, poor ventilation, or insufficient lighting [11]. Thoroughly evaluating your office spaces' IEQ, utilizing a combination of objective and subjective evaluations, and identifying the areas that require improvement [11].…”

The green office environment: New Zealand workers' perception of IEQ

“…The most influential amongst the IEQ parameters is thermal comfort. Defined as a state of mind that expresses occupant satisfaction with the thermal environment (ASHRAE 55, 2020), the relationship between temperature and worker comfort, satisfaction and productivity (Woo et al, 2021) is mediated by different factors (Clausen and Wyon, 2008), which are classified as environmental and human factors (Rasheed et al, 2019). Environmental factors include four physical parameters: air temperature, air velocity, mean radiant temperature and relative humidity.…”