Effect of Indoor Environment Quality on Human Comfort

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Energy, Physics, Environment, and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2024) | Viewed by 5389

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Building Science Group, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany
Interests: indoor environment quality; cognitive performance; healthy buildings; biophilic design

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Guest Editor
School of Aeronautic Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
Interests: built environment; indoor environmental quality; green buildings; occupant health and cognition; human exposure assessment
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

People spend more than 90% of their time indoors. Existing studies have shown the effects of indoor environment quality (IEQ) on human comfort, cognitive performance and health. Poor IEQ would make occupants more uncomfortable and less productive. Nowadays, indoor environment quality has been gaining substantial attention. For the increased requirement for high-quality living and working conditions, understanding the mechanism behind the IEQ and human comfort becomes increasingly important.

We are pleased to announce a call for papers for a forthcoming Special Issue in Buildings, dedicated to the comprehensive examination of the profound relationship between IEQ and human comfort. This interdisciplinary initiative seeks to attract academic contributions that reveal the complex dynamics, methodologies, and implications surrounding IEQ and its pivotal role in enhancing individuals' comfort, health and cognitive performance.

We invite researchers, academics, practitioners, and experts in the field of indoor environmental quality to contribute their original and innovative research findings to this significant endeavor.

Papers submitted to this Special Issue will delve into a wide spectrum of IEQ dimensions, including but not limited to indoor air quality, thermal comfort, lighting, acoustics, and ergonomics, shedding light on their intricate relationships with subjective comfort, health and cognitive performance. Furthermore, we encourage contributions that explore the integration of advanced technologies and sustainable design practices as effective tools for optimizing IEQ and enhancing human well-being.

Dr. Zhibin Wu
Prof. Dr. Xiaodong Cao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • indoor environmental quality
  • indoor air quality
  • thermal comfort
  • lighting
  • acoustics
  • cognitive performance
  • ergonomics
  • health

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1909 KiB  
Article
Innovative Sports Venue Colors and Consumers’ Satisfaction Based on Multilevel Data: The Mediating Effect of Athletes’ Perceived Emotional Value
by Yuyang Hou, Boze Gou, Jiaping Liao, Yujie Zhang, Qian Huang and Bei Sun
Buildings 2024, 14(11), 3674; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14113674 - 18 Nov 2024
Viewed by 350
Abstract
Currently, sports venues are endowed with the important functions of providing sports venues and facilities to the urban public, watching sports events, publicizing the mass sports culture, etc. An in-depth study of how to enhance the attractiveness of sports venue buildings and the [...] Read more.
Currently, sports venues are endowed with the important functions of providing sports venues and facilities to the urban public, watching sports events, publicizing the mass sports culture, etc. An in-depth study of how to enhance the attractiveness of sports venue buildings and the competitiveness of the industry to stimulate the public’s potential for sports consumption is necessary. Based on the perspective of color psychology, this study constructs a three-level structural equation model based on the nested data obtained from the questionnaire survey to explore the relationship between managers’ innovative sports venue colors, athletes’ perceived emotional value, and consumers’ sports venue satisfaction. The results show that innovative sports venue colors have a significant positive effect on consumers’ satisfaction with sports venues, and the perceived emotional value has a positive mediating role in the effect of innovative sports venue colors on consumers’ satisfaction with sports venues. This study aims to provide a basis for sports venue managers or event organizers to improve athlete satisfaction, optimize consumer experience, stimulate residents’ motivation to attend games, and strengthen the profitability of the venues. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Indoor Environment Quality on Human Comfort)
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20 pages, 3957 KiB  
Article
A Review of In-Flight Thermal Comfort and Air Quality Status in Civil Aircraft Cabin Environments
by Shanran Wang, Xiaodong Cao, Dan Miao, Liping Pang and Jiayu Li
Buildings 2024, 14(7), 2001; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072001 - 2 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1251
Abstract
The civil aircraft cabin is enclosed and highly occupied, making it susceptible to a decline in indoor environmental quality. The environmental quality of civil aircraft cabins not only depends on objective factors such as temperature, relative humidity, and the presence of air pollutants [...] Read more.
The civil aircraft cabin is enclosed and highly occupied, making it susceptible to a decline in indoor environmental quality. The environmental quality of civil aircraft cabins not only depends on objective factors such as temperature, relative humidity, and the presence of air pollutants such as carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), particle matter (PM), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) but also the subjective factors pertaining to the perceptions and health symptoms of passengers and crew. However, few studies have thoroughly examined the air quality and thermal comfort parameters that are measured during in-flight testing in airplane cabins, as well as the passengers’ subjective perceptions. In order to evaluate the in-flight thermal comfort and air quality status, this study conducted a review of the recent literature to compile data on primary categories, standard limits, and distribution ranges of in-flight environmental factors within civil aircraft cabins. Following a search procedure outlined in this paper, 54 papers were selected for inclusion. Utilizing the Monte Carlo method, the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) distributions under different exercise intensities and clothing thermal resistance were measured with the in-cabin temperature and humidity from in-flight tests. Recommendations based on first-hand data were made to maintain the relative humidity in the cabin below 40%, ensure wind speed remains within the range of 0–1 m/s, and regulate the temperature between 25–27 °C (for summer) and 22–27 °C (for winter). The current estimated cabin air supply rate generally complies with the requirements of international standards. Additionally, potential carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks associated with formaldehyde, benzene, tetrachloroethylene, and naphthalene were calculated. The sorted data of in-flight tests and the evaluation of the subjective perception of the occupants provide an evaluation of current cabin thermal comfort and air quality status, which can serve as a reference for optimizing indoor environmental quality in future generations of civil aircraft cabins. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Indoor Environment Quality on Human Comfort)
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23 pages, 6665 KiB  
Article
Experimental Evaluation of Noise Exposure Effects on Subjective Perceptions and Cognitive Performance
by Jie Zhang, Liping Pang, Chenyuan Yang, Yurong Fan, Bingxu Zhao and Xiaodong Cao
Buildings 2024, 14(4), 1100; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14041100 - 15 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1958
Abstract
Individuals exposed to elevated noise levels experience heightened emotional intensity, leading to increased cognitive disruption and a higher likelihood of accidents. This study seeks to investigate the impact of noise exposure on human cognitive performance, and the moderating role of emotion. Twelve healthy [...] Read more.
Individuals exposed to elevated noise levels experience heightened emotional intensity, leading to increased cognitive disruption and a higher likelihood of accidents. This study seeks to investigate the impact of noise exposure on human cognitive performance, and the moderating role of emotion. Twelve healthy male college-age students underwent exposure to three noise conditions, each characterized by different sound pressure levels and sharpness. Each condition included an initial acoustic/thermal adaption period lasting approximately 40 min, followed by intermittent questionnaire tests and a battery of computerized cognitive tests. Statistical analysis revealed that reducing noise levels proved advantageous, enhancing perceived sound quality, positive emotions, and auditory perception abilities, while concurrently reducing false alerts and accelerating execution speed. Many of these effects were found to be counteracted by elevated sharpness. Correlation analyses and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) results suggested that human emotions mediate the relationship between noise exposure and cognitive performance. The potential underlying mechanism suggests that negative feelings towards noise contribute to poor emotional states, subsequently influencing cognitive processes and impairing executive function. The outcomes of this study provide valuable insights into the mechanism of noise exposure and its effects on human cognition and subjective perceptions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Indoor Environment Quality on Human Comfort)
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22 pages, 3083 KiB  
Article
Differences between Daylighting and Electric Lighting in Affective Response
by Nuria Castilla, Vicente Blanca-Giménez, Carlos Pérez-Carramiñana and Carmen Llinares
Buildings 2024, 14(3), 770; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14030770 - 12 Mar 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1169
Abstract
Humans are spending more time indoors than ever due to urbanisation and industrialisation, leading to higher electricity consumption in lighting systems. Recent research has demonstrated the significance of maintaining a balance between daylight and electric light to create an ideal learning environment that [...] Read more.
Humans are spending more time indoors than ever due to urbanisation and industrialisation, leading to higher electricity consumption in lighting systems. Recent research has demonstrated the significance of maintaining a balance between daylight and electric light to create an ideal learning environment that can significantly impact students’ academic performance. The objective of this study is to analyse the changes in students’ emotional response depending on the type of lighting in the classroom—whether it is daylight, electric light, or a combination of both. A field study was conducted with 521 university students to assess their affective response to the lighting environment inside their classroom. The results show that students prefer a Clear-efficient lighting environment for writing–reading tasks and a Soft-calm atmosphere for using electronic devices. For the paying attention tasks, a combination of daylighting and electric lighting is determined to be the best solution, while for the tasks of discussing–teamwork, students prefer daylighting. Daylighting is found to be the only lighting option that students like. Despite this, students still consider electric lighting and the combination of daylight and electric light adequate for a classroom. The findings of this study may help educators and designers create learning spaces that promote a positive and stimulating student environment by understanding the relationship between the lighting environment and students’ affective responses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Indoor Environment Quality on Human Comfort)
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