Com a disseminação do conceito de desenvolvimento sustentável tem sido verificado um aumento no interesse por sistemas de baixo ou nenhum consumo de energia. Uma forma de diminuir o consumo e propiciar condições de qualidade do ar e conforto térmico é utilizar a ventilação natural. No presente trabalho analisa-se a influência de diferentes tipos de janelas e mobiliário sobre as condições de ventilação natural em ambientes de escritório utilizando simulação numérica. O modelo é composto por um edifício de cinco pavimentos, sendo analisadas as condições térmicas do pavimento mais alto. A mudança do mobiliário apresentou tendência de piora das condições de conforto com o aumento das partições, sendo significativa com partições de 1,50m de altura e as demais condições menos propícias para a ventilação natural. Não foi observada mudança significativa entre as partições de 0,90m e 1,10m, sendo preferível então a última pela melhor privacidade dos ocupantes. A modificação do layout não resultou em mudanças significativas de temperatura do ar no ambiente ocupado, salvo na configuração que reuniu as piores condições de ventilação. Já a geometria das janelas apresentou resultados significativamente diferentes, pois a janela maxim-ar permitiu a entrada de um volume maior de ar e o distribuiu melhor dentro dos ambientes de escritório simulados, em comparação com a janela de correr vertical. Verificou-se que a escolha adequada das janelas influencia o ambiente térmico de maneira semelhante à redução da iluminação e dos equipamentos que dissipam calor. Concluiu-se que com a implantação adequada da edificação, escolha correta das aberturas, da configuração do mobiliário e das cargas térmicas internas é possível utilizar sistemas de ventilação natural em ambientes de escritórios com bons resultados. Por fim, é importante destacar que a aplicação da dinâmica dos fluidos computacional (CFD) para ventilação natural é complexa, pois este fenômeno é naturalmente instável, com necessidade de bastante cuidado na definição dos modelos para representar o problema e no processo de simulação numérica. / Among the spread of the sustainability concept it has been found a rising interest on low or zero energy consumption systems. One approach to reduce energy consumption and also provide acceptable levels of indoor air quality and thermal comfort is using natural ventilation. On the present report it is analyzed the influence of different types of windows and furniture on natural ventilation conditions of office environments using numerical simulation. The model is a five storey building, being the thermal conditions evaluated in the highest floor. Furniture change presented a worsen tendency of the comfort conditions as the partitions height increased. This worsen was significant when 1.50m height partitions were combined with other features less propitious for natural ventilation. No significant change was found between the 0.90m and 1.10m height partitions, being the last preferable due to occupants privacy enhance. Layout modification did not result on significant changes of occupied zone air temperature, except on the set up that gathered the worse ventilation conditions. However, the different window geometries presented results significantly different, since the maxim-air window allowed the entrance of more wind and has distributed it better inside the simulated office environments. Therefore, thermal comfort conditions became better than in comparison with the vertical sliding windows. It was verified that the adequate choice of windows influences the thermal environment in a similar way to the reduction of lighting and equipments that dissipate heat. It was concluded that with the proper building implementation, correct choice of openings, furniture configuration and internal heat gains it is possible to use natural ventilation in office environments with good results. Finally, it is noteworthy the complexity in applying the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for natural ventilation, since it is an inherently unstable phenomenon, requiring considerable care in defining the models to represent the problem and in the numerical simulation process.

Com a disseminação do conceito de desenvolvimento sustentável tem sido verificado um aumento no interesse por sistemas de baixo ou nenhum consumo de energia. Uma forma de diminuir o consumo e propiciar condições de qualidade do ar e conforto térmico é utilizar a ventilação natural. No presente trabalho analisa-se a influência de diferentes tipos de janelas e mobiliário sobre as condições de ventilação natural em ambientes de escritório utilizando simulação numérica. O modelo é composto por um edifício de cinco pavimentos, sendo analisadas as condições térmicas do pavimento mais alto. A mudança do mobiliário apresentou tendência de piora das condições de conforto com o aumento das partições, sendo significativa com partições de 1,50m de altura e as demais condições menos propícias para a ventilação natural. Não foi observada mudança significativa entre as partições de 0,90m e 1,10m, sendo preferível então a última pela melhor privacidade dos ocupantes. A modificação do layout não resultou em mudanças significativas de temperatura do ar no ambiente ocupado, salvo na configuração que reuniu as piores condições de ventilação. Já a geometria das janelas apresentou resultados significativamente diferentes, pois a janela maxim-ar permitiu a entrada de um volume maior de ar e o distribuiu melhor dentro dos ambientes de escritório simulados, em comparação com a janela de correr vertical. Verificou-se que a escolha adequada das janelas influencia o ambiente térmico de maneira semelhante à redução da iluminação e dos equipamentos que dissipam calor. Concluiu-se que com a implantação adequada da edificação, escolha correta das aberturas, da configuração do mobiliário e das cargas térmicas internas é possível utilizar sistemas de ventilação natural em ambientes de escritórios com bons resultados. Por fim, é importante destacar que a aplicação da dinâmica dos fluidos computacional (CFD) para ventilação natural é complexa, pois este fenômeno é naturalmente instável, com necessidade de bastante cuidado na definição dos modelos para representar o problema e no processo de simulação numérica. / Among the spread of the sustainability concept it has been found a rising interest on low or zero energy consumption systems. One approach to reduce energy consumption and also provide acceptable levels of indoor air quality and thermal comfort is using natural ventilation. On the present report it is analyzed the influence of different types of windows and furniture on natural ventilation conditions of office environments using numerical simulation. The model is a five storey building, being the thermal conditions evaluated in the highest floor. Furniture change presented a worsen tendency of the comfort conditions as the partitions height increased. This worsen was significant when 1.50m height partitions were combined with other features less propitious for natural ventilation. No significant change was found between the 0.90m and 1.10m height partitions, being the last preferable due to occupants privacy enhance. Layout modification did not result on significant changes of occupied zone air temperature, except on the set up that gathered the worse ventilation conditions. However, the different window geometries presented results significantly different, since the maxim-air window allowed the entrance of more wind and has distributed it better inside the simulated office environments. Therefore, thermal comfort conditions became better than in comparison with the vertical sliding windows. It was verified that the adequate choice of windows influences the thermal environment in a similar way to the reduction of lighting and equipments that dissipate heat. It was concluded that with the proper building implementation, correct choice of openings, furniture configuration and internal heat gains it is possible to use natural ventilation in office environments with good results. Finally, it is noteworthy the complexity in applying the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for natural ventilation, since it is an inherently unstable phenomenon, requiring considerable care in defining the models to represent the problem and in the numerical simulation process.

Today, as a result of the improvements especially in the area of medical sciences, conditions of life have changed and the work period has been prolonged. Currently more than one generation has been living together, and even working together. In recent years, it is observed that generationally diverse environments and product or services addressing multi-generational user groups have attracted the attention of particularly the marketing sector and this attention to the generational diversity has become a trend in the design field just as it has in many other areas. This study analyses the design assets of the office environments from the perspective of the important characteristic of the workforce, namely the generational diversity. Designing the office environment by taking only the current and future generations into consideration is not a sufficient way anymore. So, office designers are expected to consider also the older generations existing at the same environment. This trend towards generational diversity has started with the designs and arrangements of home environments / later, due to the advantages it has provided for the organizations&rsquo / success, it has gradually spread towards the designs of office environments. In this study, the work habits of generations have been analyzed initially and then it has been related to the office environments and work cultures. At the end of the study, the effects of multi-generational workforce on the office environment design assets have been discussed.

The intent of this report is to distinguish the significance of interiors to obtain social sustainability in office environments as well as identifying selected environmental rating systems’ weaknesses and strengths concerning the inclusion of social criteria. To conduct the study an extensive literature study and several interviews have taken place. The study has resulted in 45 different criteria, which all are significant to obtain in a social sustainable office environment. To make the results easier to understand and interpret they are presented graphically with a custom designed tool, titled Duis Socialis. Using this tool, the criteria for social sustainability are presented along with the results from the review of the environmental rating systems. The results of this study shows that the environmental rating systems have a predominance towards the technical criteria in comparison with the criteria concerning sociology, culture and equality. This trend is most likely a consequence of the technical criteria being easier to quantify as well as containing distinguishable exposure-response relationships. The one criterion that could be identified in all of the environmental rating systems was Toxic-free materials. This is most likely because it is easy to quantify and is an important criterion seen from an environmental point of view. Six criteria were not identified in any of the systems: Power structures, Gender neutrality, Open spaces, Orderliness, Physically attractive interiors and Viable technology. None of the reviewed environmental rating systems do a clear attempt to include social sustainability, with the exception of WELL Building Standard. WELL Building Standard: New and Existing Interiors and WELL Building Standard: New and Existing Buildings were the environmental rating systems that fulfilled the most criteria. This may be because WELL Building Standard focusses on health and well-being instead of being a pure environmental rating system. Also, WELL Building Standard has been used to help identify the social criteria used in this study. The system that fulfilled least criteria was BASTA, it only fulfilled Toxic-free materials. This is because BASTA has a clearly stated focus on toxic-free materials and nothing else. The results of this study aim to increase the awareness of social sustainability and are by the authors of this report seen as a first step in the process. In the future the authors believe in the introduction of sustainability rating systems and sustainability certifications in which the economic, ecologic and social dimensions of sustainable development are included.