Exploring Occupant Behavior In Buildings

This book is the first to comprehensively cover research methods for building occupant behavior. As this is of growing importance for building design and for building performance optimization, the book aims to provide a sound scientific basis for experimental studies in this field. It introduces the reader to fundamental questions about the topic and unfolds the different fields related to occupant actions and comfort. This is followed by more general questions about developing an appropriate research method and experimental design. A comprehensive overview of sensors for monitoring environmental and also behavioral and action-related quantities helps to set up an experiment. In this context, different experimental environments and data collection methods (in-situ, laboratories, surveys) are introduced and discussed in terms of their suitability for the respective research question. Furthermore, data management and reporting is addressed. The book concludes with fundamental challenges in conducting occupant studies, with chapters on ground truth, ethics and privacy.

Occupant behaviour in buildings is a point of interest for building designers around the world. Functional buildings have a significant energy demand; therefore, improving the thermal and energy performance of such buildings requires knowledge about the variables that influence them. However, to increase the potential for improving thermal and energy performance of buildings, studies must also consider the occupant’s interactions with the built environment. The occupant behaviour influences the conditions of the internal environment through the occupation of indoor building spaces and through the interaction with building elements, such as air-conditioning, lighting, blinds and windows. Occupant Behaviour in Buildings: Advances and Challenges brings together reviews of these influential aspects, presenting updates on advances and questions that pose challenges in our current understanding of behavioural modeling and its application to building design. Special topics covered in the book include methods to survey occupant behavior, building design choices, occupant behaviour impact on a building's thermal and energy efficiency, and,finally, a simulation of occupants in a building. Key Features- Presents up-to-date information on occupant behaviour in buildings- Eight chapters, written by renowned researchers, provide readers with useful insights on the subject- Includes a case study of buildings in Brazil- Structured reader-friendly content- References for further reading This reference is an informative resource for students and professionals in architecture, civil engineering, building information design, and urban planning. Readers interested in social and behavioural sciences will also gain insights on research methods that are helpful in investigating human behavior in urban dwellings.

Occupant-Centric Simulation-Aided Building Design promotes occupants as a focal point for the design process. This resource for established and emerging building designers and researchers provides theoretical and practical means to restore occupants and their needs to the heart of the design process. Helmed by leaders of the International Energy Agency Annex 79, this edited volume features contributions from a multi-disciplinary, globally recognized team of scholars and practitioners. Chapters on the indoor environment and human factors introduce the principles of occupant-centric design while chapters on selecting and applying models provide a thorough grounding in simulation-aided building design practice. A final chapter assembling detailed case studies puts the lessons of the preceding chapters into real-world context. In fulfillment of the International Energy Agency’s mission of disseminating research on secure and sustainable energy to all, Occupant-Centric Simulation-Aided Building Design is available as an Open Access Gold title. With a balance of fundamentals and design process guidelines, Occupant-Centric Simulation-Aided Building Design reorients the building design community toward buildings that recognize and serve diverse occupant needs, while aiming for superior environmental performance, based on the latest science and methods.

When used appropriately, building performance simulation has the potential to reduce the environmental impact of the built environment, to improve indoor quality and productivity, as well as to facilitate future innovation and technological progress in construction. Since publication of the first edition of Building Performance Simulation for Design and Operation, the discussion has shifted from a focus on software features to a new agenda, which centres on the effectiveness of building performance simulation in building life cycle processes. This new edition provides a unique and comprehensive overview of building performance simulation for the complete building life cycle from conception to demolition, and from a single building to district level. It contains new chapters on building information modelling, occupant behaviour modelling, urban physics modelling, urban building energy modelling and renewable energy systems modelling. This new edition keeps the same chapter structure throughout including learning objectives, chapter summaries and assignments. Moreover, the book: • Provides unique insights into the techniques of building performance modelling and simulation and their application to performance-based design and operation of buildings and the systems which service them. • Provides readers with the essential concepts of computational support of performance-based design and operation. • Provides examples of how to use building simulation techniques for practical design, management and operation, their limitations and future direction. It is primarily intended for building and systems designers and operators, and postgraduate architectural, environmental or mechanical engineering students.

The book covers practical applications and experimental results of integrating renewable energy technologies, energy storage facilities, and intelligent control and operation techniques into building energy systems. It introduces practical approaches to improving the energy systems of buildings in order to reduce energy consumption and cost. Renewable Energy for Buildings is suitable for retrofit engineers, energy engineers, and professionals, as well as researchers and developers in electrical engineering, architectural engineering, and mechanical engineering. Moreover, it can be used by undergraduate and graduate students to become familiar with the most recent developments in building energy systems. ​Examines the most recent developments in building energy systems; Looks at practical applications and theoretical aspects; Includes case studies.

This book comprises the proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering 2021. The contents of this volume focus on specialty conferences in construction, environmental, hydrotechnical, materials, structures, transportation engineering, etc. This volume will prove a valuable resource for those in academia and industry.

Developments in data acquisition technologies, digital information and analysis, automated construction processes, and advanced materials and products have finally started to move the construction industry - traditionally reluctant to innovation and slow in adopting new technologies - toward a new era. Massive changes are occurring because of the possibilities created by Building information modeling, Extended reality, Internet of Things, Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning, Big data, Nanotechnology, 3D printing, and other advanced technologies, which are strongly interconnected and are driving the capabilities for much more efficient construction at scale. Construction 4.0: Advanced Technology, Tools and Materials for the Digital Transformation of the Construction Industry provides readers with a state-of-the-art review of the ongoing digital transformation of the sector within the new 4.0 framework, presenting a thorough investigation of the emerging trends, technologies, and strategies in the fields of smart building design, construction, and operation and providing a comprehensive guideline on how to exploit the new possibilities offered by the digital revolution. It will be an essential reference resource for academic researchers, material scientists and civil engineers, undergraduate and graduate students, and other professionals working in the field of smart ecoefficient construction and cutting-edge technologies applied to construction. Provides an overview of the Construction 4.0 framework to address the global challenges of the buildingsector in the 21st century and an in-depth analysis of the most advanced digital technologies and systems forthe operation and maintenance of infrastructure, real estate, and other built assets Covers major innovations across the value chain, including building design, fabrication, construction, operationand maintenance, and end-of-life Illustrates the most advanced digital tools and methods to support the building design activity, includinggenerative design, virtual reality, and digital fabrication Presents a thorough review of the most advanced construction materials, building methods, and techniquesfor a new connected and automated construction model Explores the digital transformation for smart energy buildings and their integration with emerging smartgrids and smart cities Reflects upon major findings and identifies emerging market opportunities for the whole AECO sector

This book highlights the importance of human behaviour in the building design process, with a focus on the construction of zero-energy buildings. It reports on and discusses the strategies the authors have adopted to develop behavioural models, and explains how to integrate them into building design. The analyses and findings presented in the book are supported by novel experimental data derived from building monitoring projects carried out by the authors’ research group. Further, the book suggests key methodologies and modelling approaches. The authors subsequently address occupants’ behaviour in zero-energy buildings from an energy perspective. They investigate many different aspects of the interactions between users and buildings devices, from assessing the triggering factors of occupants’ behaviours, to discussing modelling and simulation approaches. Methods for acquiring and analysing experimental data are presented, as well as a discussion on objective and subjective factors that trigger occupants’ behaviour. Other content includes: experimental investigations from real case studies to assess occupants’ interaction with building devices; an assessment of the driving factors that trigger human actions to identify the key parameters in the behavioural models; and critical suggestions on monitoring and modelling approaches to optimise data acquisition and modelling methods. The guidelines presented here will allow designers and researchers to improve the accuracy of their simulations of buildings energy performance, and support both building design and management processes. It will be of particular use to researchers involved in the development of behavioural models, as it presents experimental data and a comprehensive overview of behavioural modelling. The book will also be of interest to students who are studying the behavioural component of integrated building design.