Given the increasing awareness of indoor air quality (IAQ) and the direct correlation to human health, passive removal materials (PRM) have become known as a potential strategy for reducing occupant exposure to indoor air pollutants (Lu 2013). In recent studies, untreated natural wool fiber has been recognized as a PRM for removing formaldehyde, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. These are common volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from sources, such as building materials, fixtures, furnishings and cleaning supplies (Darling et al. 2012). Test chamber studies have shown that wool fiber can irreversibly remove up to 67% of these VOC’s in an interior environment (Curling et al 2012). When the toxins come in physical contact with the fiber, a chemical reaction occurs due to the amino-acid side chains within the keratin molecule. Increase in air-tight buildings has recently become a concern with the rising popularity of sustainable building practices, causing occupant exposure to these indoor air pollutants to rise (Weschler 2009). Beyond known adverse health effects, such as eye irritation and respiratory issues, formaldehyde has been designated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a human carcinogen and is the leading cause for Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) (World Health Organization 2010). The interior cortex of a wool fiber is hydrophilic – highly water absorbent, and can absorb 1/3 its weight in moisture. Wool fiber has a unique wicking property that allows the fiber to absorb water vapor from the air in a regulating sense; absorbing when there is an excess moisture level and releasing the gained moisture when the surrounding atmosphere is less humid. This provides passive humidity regulation in an indoor environment, stabilizing the comfort level of 20-50% relative humidity (RH) without requiring higher air-conditioning or ventilation rates (Bingelli 2010). Wool also has excellent properties for optimizing indoor acoustics, as it absorbs acoustic energy via the friction of air being moved through the tiny spaces between fibers and reduces traveling noise and reverberation (Bingelli 2010). In an untreated, natural roving state the density of wool is ideal for acoustic control in conversational speech situations where 70dB or lower is present, such as meeting rooms, lobbies and restaurants. With the consideration of these properties, wool has the capability to improve the indoor environment quality (IEQ) and the health of occupants through the absorption of indoor air pollutants, humidity regulation and acoustic control. As Australia and the USA are among the top 3 wool producing countries, I will be working specifically with locally sourced wool from New South Wales and Texas as a basis for a sustainable IEQ intervention installation model that may be applied to future projects. The wool was obtained from local, small-scale fiber farms that implement hand processing in an effort to reduce toxins, in addition to lowering the manufacturing energy and transportation emission requirements. The local supply chain model provides increased environmental, social, economic and human health benefits to the design. Individual installations based on the vernacular wool fiber atrributes and interior climate needs will greatly increase the overall spatial environment, while also serving as an aesthetically pleasing piece of art. / text

The purpose of this study is to develop a Learner Thermal Comfort Protocol (LTCP) for the assessment of thermal comfort in naturally ventilated public school classrooms occupied by primary learners aged between 7 and 14 years and to establish whether there is a relationship between the thermal comfort standards (ASHRAE 55-2004 and ISO 7730-2005) and the learners’ perception thereof. The study tests the LTCP on two primary school case studies in Mamelodi Township, City of Tshwane (CoT), South Africa, by following the adaptive or field study method to collect quantitative data from the classroom and the learners. The classrooms’ actual temperature is measured and recorded by HOBO pendant data loggers while the learners’ thermal comfort perception is surveyed using questionnaires. The actual classroom indoor temperatures are compared to the ASHRAE 55 and ISO 7730 standard temperature range recommendations of ±22°C to ±27°C, based on the heat balance model, and ±20°C to ±27°C temperature range based on the context related adaptive model. To establish whether there is a relationship between standards and learners’ perception, the learners’ perception results are compared to the predicted percentage that occupants would find acceptable. This predicted percentage is based on the heat balance model (i.e. 80%) and adaptive model (i.e. 80% - 90%). The results indicate that the indoor temperature range did not meet the recommended temperature range of either of the thermal comfort models. However, the thermal perception scale shows that the indoor temperatures were accepted by most of the learners. A relationship between the learners’ perception, the thermal comfort standards’ recommended temperature range and predicted percentage of acceptance was established. However, a wider temperature range is suggested for the thermal comfort assessment of classrooms located in the South African climate. This study will contribute to the body of knowledge on thermal comfort in schools and provide the Department of Basic Education (DBE) with an assessment tool for the evaluation of school classroom indoor environments. / Dissertation (MArch(Prof)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Architecture / Unrestricted

The overall aim of this research project is to study green/energy-efficient real estate from an economic perspective. The thesis summarizes the results from five different studies with a connection to green/energy-efficient real estate.The aim of the first paper (paper A) is to study how tenants perceive the indoor environment in green-rated premises, and to compare these results with tenants’ perception of a conventional building’s indoor environment. The main result is that the tenants in the green-rated building are more satisfied with the indoor environment than the tenants in the conventional building.Papers B and C assess whether energy efficiency has an impact on buildings’ income and market values using Swedish real-estate data. The key result is that although there is a small impact on building-related income, this does not seem to translate into a higher market value.The last two papers included in this thesis study hindrances to a more energy-efficient building sector. In paper D, two office buildings are used as baseline cases to provide insights into the difficulties that can arise when trying to upgrade a building to make it more energy efficient. The results indicate that changing existing leases is a prohibitive process and that it is often difficult to evaluate the final impact of an energy upgrade. The last paper focuses on why it may be rational to postpone green refurbishments even if they are profitable. The main result is that it may be rational to postpone such refurbishments. However, by introducing different financial penalties and/or subsidies, these investments could be triggered today.To sum up, the results indicate that green buildings are preferred by tenants, but that there still appear to be economic barriers to a greener building sector. / Det övergripande syftet med denna avhandling är att studera grön/energieffektiva byggnader ur ett ekonomiskt perspektiv. Avhandlingen består av en kappa och fem separata studier, vilka belyser tre olika forskningsfrågor. Syftet med den första studien är att studera hur hyresgäster upplever inomhusmiljön i gröna byggnader. I studien jämförs inomhusmiljön i en grön byggnad med inomhusmiljön i en likvärdig konventionell byggnad. Resultatet visar, på det stora hela, att hyresgästerna är mer nöjda med inomhusmiljön i den gröna byggnaden. De nästföljande studierna, B respektive C, undersöker om byggnadens energiprestanda har någon inverkan på dess hyra respektive marknadsvärde. Resultaten visar på en liten signifikant hyrespåverkan, dock verkar denna inte ha någon effekt på byggnadernas marknadsvärdebedömningar. Skälet till detta kan vara att hyrespremien anses för liten för att ha någon signifikant inverkan på byggnadens marknadsvärde, alternativt att fastighetsvärderare inte beaktar energiprestanda när en fastighet värderas. De två sista studierna studerar varför vissa, tillsynes lönsamma, energiinvesteringar inte genomförs. Resultaten från studie D visar på svårigheterna med att ingå ett samarbetsavtal (för att eliminera felaktiga incitament) mellan hyresgäst och hyresvärd. Sådana avtal tar lång tid att förhandla fram och det uppkommer ofta svårigheter med att utvärdera de tänkta energiinvesteringarnas ekonomiska utfall. Studie E utgår ifrån en realoptionsmodell, vilken används för att utvärdera när ”gröna” renoveringar bör genomföras i en befintlig byggnad. Studien visar att det kan vara rationellt att vänta trots att investeringen idag är lönsam. Vidare visar resultaten att det är möjligt att via byggsubventioner/finansiella ”straff” påverka aktörer att tidigarelägga energieffektiviseringsåtgärder.  Dock är det viktigt att dessa utformas korrekt så att det inte skapar några snedvridna incitament. Övergripande visar resultaten att gröna byggnader är att föredra ur ett brukarperspektiv men att det fortfarande finns ekonomiska hinder för en mer hållbar byggsektor. Nyckelord: gröna byggnader, energieffektiva byggnader, EPC, inomhusmiljö, Realoptioner, fastighetsekonomi. / <p>QC 20160407</p>

<p>Clean indoor air is a necessity, in the past opening a window or supplying outdoor air would suffice for removing indoor contaminated air. As humans live in more dense neighborhoods or urban areas, the need for energy efficient clean indoor air is important. As outdoor air pollution increases, a Biowall is a device to improve aesthetics and clean indoor air by pulling air through the root zone of plants in a loosely packed growth media. The Biowall is a sustainable supplement to a single use air filter. For this research a small Biowall was designed, fabricated, tested, and installed in the Children’s wing of a public library. The airflow simulation and watering for the Biowall was explored using Autodesk CFD to simulate the airflow through growth media and identify a hole pattern to distribute airflow evenly through the plant trays. Various watering line designs were also tested until the rectangular design proved to be more balanced at distributing the water evenly to the growth media. Finally, the air cleaning ability of the Biowall was tested using a Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) test to quantify the cleaning rate. The Biowall provided 12 cfm of clean air, or about 2 cfm/sq ft of plant tray area.  </p>

Economic development brings about urbanisation which may result in rapid housing expansion. The health and well-being of communities is often not considered as a priority of urbanisation with the pressure for developing better economies. Sustainability principles in housing developments are perceived to be able to enhance and to improve the quality of living. The approach to sustainability can, however, be interpreted and prioritised differently. Many developing countries such as Malaysia are depending upon industrialisation for the development of their economies. Continuing urbanisation and industrialisation in these countries indirectly creates tensions between the need for a better built environment, and the push for economic growth. One specific phenomena in Malaysia is the introduction of the mixed-use urban neighbourhood, whereby residential development is netsled within the industrial establishments. On one hand, this helps to create job opportunities and improve the local economy. On the other, it creates concerns in the relations to the house planning, and to the well-being of the residents. These have potential exposures to industrial activities that are associated with environmental problems, such as, poor air quality, local temperature increases, and excessive noise levels. This research applied the current international trends of sustainability practices in housing development in searching for the most appropriate strategies for developing sustainable residential-industrial neighborhoods. Cross reference to other countries strategies and experiences can be adaptation for Malaysian conditions. A residential-industrial community in the city of Pasir Gudang Johor, Malaysia, has been selected as a case study in order to examine the perceived problems of indoor environmental quality in such environments. The result of a questionnaire survey and in-situ measurement indicates that they are facing indoor environmental problems. A set of recommendations for housing guidelines which are tailored for local Malaysians conditions have been identified, and have potential for improving the housing development guidelines and policies for mixed-use community living. Comprehensive strategies will need to be developed to achieve housing development sustainability goals. The development of Master Planned Communities (MPC's) is suggested to be appropriate mechanism to developing planning controls. This will ensure the improvement of indoor environmental quality of living in residential-industrial housing developments in Malaysia. It is anticipated that this research will make a positive contribution to developing decision-making procedures that are appropriate to achieving the goals of sustainable housing development in relation to mixed-used residential housing, It is also expected that this research will assist in establishment of a unified national sustainable housing strategy, and in the rationalised adoption of a master planned community approach.

Begreppet "Sick Building Syndrome" (SBS) beskriver ett vanligt problem i byggnader där personer som vistas där under en längre tid kan uppleva hälsosymptom såsom huvudvärk, yrsel, illamående, koncentrationssvårigheter och trötthet. För att hantera dessa hälsoproblem har Örebromodellen utvecklats. Modellen använder enkäter för att samla in data om inomhusklimatet och hälsoproblem från brukarna för att identifiera problemområden och utveckla förbättringsstrategier för hälsa och välbefinnande. SWESIAQ-modellen, baserad på Örebromodellen, används för att bedöma och förbättra inomhusmiljöer i byggnader genom att ta hänsyn till både tekniska och icke-tekniska faktorer som minskar hälsoriskerna. Modellen fokuserar främst på inomhusluftens kvalitet och tar även hänsyn till andra miljömässiga och psykosociala faktorer i byggnadsmiljön. För att utveckla och komplettera SWESIAQ-modellen när det gäller den psykosociala innemiljön användes studerad litteratur som en metod för att analysera och identifiera faktorer som påverkar den psykosociala kvaliteten. Den tillämpade metodiken "ergonomi" användes för att anpassa människan till sin omgivande miljö. Salutogenes teorin främjar hälsa och välbefinnande, och bostadens omätbara värden bidrar till den arkitektoniska kvaliteten i bostadens upplevelse. Dessa studier fokuserar på att förbättra innemiljön och uppnå välbefinnande för individer. Syftet med detta examensarbete är att vidareutveckla SWESIAQ-modellen på ett mer omfattande och detaljerat sätt när det gäller byggnaders psykosociala innemiljö. Genom att skapa en systematisk och användarvänlig bedömningsmatris baserad på viktiga faktorer som främst påverkar byggnaders innemiljö. Den kan även hjälpa innemiljöutredare att identifiera och åtgärda psykosociala problem i byggnader. Målet med arbetet är att identifiera och studera de egenskaper som definierar den psykosociala innemiljön och omvandla dem från kvalitativa till kvantitativa faktorer med hjälp av tidigare teorier och forskning. Detta examenarbete utfördes i två delar. I den första delen identifierades åtta kategorier som spelar en stor roll för den psykosociala innemiljöns kvalitet, utifrån ergonomi, salutogena och bostadens omätbara värden. Dessa kategorier inkluderar ljus, ljud, möbler, färg, utrymmen, konst, natur och bostadsplanering. Utifrån dessa faktorer skapades en bedömningsmatris som innehåller 36 frågor för att bedöma innemiljön i bostäder. I den andra delen av arbetet tillämpades bedömningsmatrisen på en bostad.  Resultaten visade att SWESIAQ-modellen har blivit mer omfattande genom att inkludera en detaljerad bedömning av den psykosociala inomhusmiljön. Dessa nya tillägg har gjort modellen till ett kraftfullt verktyg för att bedöma både materialanvändning och den psykologiska komforten för de boende. I praktisk tillämpning visade det sig att bedömningsmatrisen är en lättanvänd matris som utgör ett utmärkt verktyg för att bedöma den psykosociala innemiljön i bostäder. Dessutom behöver den inte involvera experter för att användas. / The term "Sick Building Syndrome" (SBS) describes a common problem in buildings where individuals who spend a long time there can experience health symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, difficulty concentrating, and fatigue. To address these health problems, the Örebro model has been developed. The model uses questionnaires to collect data about the indoor climate and health problems from users in order to identify problem areas and develop improvement strategies for health and well-being. The SWESIAQ model, based on the Örebro model, is used to assess, and improve indoor environments in buildings by considering both technical and non-technical factors that reduce health risks. The model primarily focuses on indoor air quality and also takes into account other environmental and psychosocial factors in the building environment.  To further develop and supplement the SWESIAQ model regarding the psychosocial indoor environment, relevant literature was studied as a method to analyze and identify factors that affect psychosocial quality. The applied methodology of "ergonomics" was used to adapt individuals to their surrounding environment. Salutogenesis theory promotes health and well-being, and the intangible values of a home contribute to the architectural quality of the home's experience. These studies focus on improving the indoor environment and achieving well-being for individuals. The purpose of this thesis is to further develop the SWESIAQ model in a more comprehensive and detailed way concerning the psychosocial indoor environment of buildings. This involves creating a systematic and user-friendly assessment matrix based on important factors that mainly affect the indoor environment of buildings. It can also help indoor environmental investigators to identify and remedy psychosocial problems in buildings. The goal of the work is to identify and study the characteristics that define the psychosocial indoor environment and transform them from qualitative to quantitative factors using previous theories and research. This thesis was carried out in two parts. In the first part, eight categories were identified that play a major role in the quality of the psychosocial indoor environment, based on ergonomics, salutogenic principles, and the intangible values of a home. These categories include light, sound, furniture, color, spaces, art, nature, and home planning. Based on these factors, an assessment matrix was created that contains 36 questions to assess the indoor environment in homes. In the second part of the work, the assessment matrix was applied to a residence. The results showed that the SWESIAQ model has become more comprehensive by including a detailed assessment of the psychosocial indoor environment. These new additions have made the model a powerful tool for assessing both material usage and the psychological comfort of the occupants. In practical application, it turned out that the assessment matrix is an easy-to-use matrix that constitutes an excellent tool for assessing the psychosocial indoor environment in homes. Moreover, it does not require the involvement of experts to be used.

An overarching aim of this research was to investigate the comprehensive value of green residential buildings as seen from two perspectives: that of the developer and that of the occupant (the customer). The dissertation consists of studies presented in seven papers.  The studies conducted to investigate the developer’s perspective focused on construction cost and potential profit (papers I and VII). The customer’s perspective was examined with three approaches: the impact that energy and environment have on the decision to purchase (or rent) an apartment (paper V), willingness to pay for a green apartment (paper VI) and finally, the occupants’ satisfaction with the dwelling and indoor environment (papers II, III and IV).  The first paper examines whether increased investment costs are profitable, taking into account the reduction in operating costs. The investment viability is approached by comparing investment in conventional and green residential building, particularly passive houses, using real construction and post-occupancy conditions. The increased investment costs in energy-efficient building were also the focus of paper VII. In this paper, the aim was to study how technologies used in energy-efficient residential building construction affect the available saleable floor area and how this impacts on the profitability of the investment. Potential losses and gains of saleable floor area in energy-efficient buildings were assessed using a modelled building and analysed with the help of the average construction cost. Papers II and IV present results from a study of occupants’ satisfaction and indoor environmental qualities. Both papers aim at comparing and analysing responses from occupants living in green and conventional buildings. Paper III focuses on a similar subject, but investigates occupants’ satisfaction among all adults living in multi-family buildings in Sweden, providing a national context for the results presented in papers II and IV. The results indicate that occupants are generally satisfied with their dwellings, but indoor environment proved to have a statistically significant effect on overall satisfaction. The results in paper V indicate that energy and environmental factors have a minor impact on customers’ decision to purchase or rent an apartment. However, availability of information on building energy and environmental performance may have an effect on the likelihood of the buyers’ being interested in environmental qualities and consequently an impact on their decision. The study presented in paper VI shows that customer interest in energy and environmental factors has a significant impact on stated willingness to pay for green dwellings. The paper discusses the stated willingness to pay for low-energy buildings and buildings with an environmental certificate and attempts to assess the rationale of the stated willingness to pay for low-energy dwellings given potential energy savings. / Fokus i detta forskningsprojekt har legat på att undersöka värdet av gröna bostäder ur ett brett perspektiv, dvs både genom att studera byggherrens och de boendes (kundens) synpunkter. I avhandlingen ingår sju uppsatser. Undersökningen av byggherrens synpunkter fokuserades på kostnader och potentiella inkomster (uppsats I och VII). Kundernas åsikter undersöktes på tre olika sätt: vilken effekt energi och miljö faktorer hade på beslut att köpa eller hyra en lägenhet (uppsats V), betalningsvilja för gröna bostäder (uppsats VI) och slutligen de boendes trivsel samt nöjdhet med inomhusmiljön (uppsats II,III och IV). Den första uppsatsen syftar till att undersöka om ökningen av investeringskostnader vid byggande av gröna byggnader kan täckas av framtida energibesparingar och minskning av driftkostnad. Investeringens lönsamhet undersöktes genom att jämföra skillnader i byggkostnader mellan konventionella och gröna bostäder med skillnader i driftskostnader givet olika antaganden om energipriser och räntekrav. Huvudfokus i uppsats VII var också byggkostnader, men denna gång undersöktes hur nya tekniska lösningar påverkar boarea och lönsamhet av energieffektiva bostäder.  Genom att konstruera en modell av ett typhus analyserades potentiella ökningar i boarea med nya lösningar och hur detta påverkade lönsamheten i olika geografiska lägen (prisnivåer). Uppsatserna II och IV presenterar resultat från boendeundersökningar. Båda uppsatserna syftar till att undersöka boendes trivsel och nöjdhet med inomhusmiljö samt att testa skillnaden i svar från boende i gröna och konventionella bostäder.  Uppsats III fokuserar också på inomhusmiljön, men analysen gjordes på svaren som samlades in under Boverkets projekt BETSI och resultaten är därmed representativa för alla vuxna som bor i flerfamiljshus i Sverige. Uppsats III ger därmed en national kontext för uppsatserna II och IV. Resultaten visar att boende trivs i sina bostäder, men inomhusmiljön har en statistiks signifikanta effekt på allmän nöjdhet faktor.. Resultaten i uppsats V tyder på att energi- och miljöaspekter spelar mindre roll i beslutet att köpa eller hyra en lägenhet. Den synliga informationens tillgänglighet angående byggnadens energi- och miljöprestanda, påverkar kundens intresse för dessa faktorer och därmed indirekt hushållets beslut. Resultaten i uppsats VI pekar på att kunderna, som är intresserade av byggnaders energi och miljö prestanda, är villiga att betala mer för gröna bostäder. I uppsats 6 diskuteras betalningsvilja för låg-energi byggnader och för byggnader med miljöcertifikat samt utvärderas om den angivna betalningsviljan är rationell beslut när man tar hänsyn till nuvärdet av framtida energibesparingar. / <p>QC 20131014</p>