ASSESSMENT OF SUSTAINABILITY TOWARDS THE INDOOR ENVIRONMENT QUALITY PERFORMANCE OF A CONVENTIONAL OFFICE CASE STUDY /
NICOSIA TAX BUILDING
SOSTHENE TSHISENDA FUDIELA; SUPERVISOR: ASST. PROF. DR. PERVİN ABOHORLU DOĞRAMACI
- xiii, 160 sheets: photos; 31 cm. 1 CD-ROM
Thesis (MID) - Cyprus International University. Institute of Graduate Studies and Research Interior Design Department
Includes bibliography (sheets 145-151)
ABSTRACT Today the relationship between humans and the indoor environment provides a rich framework for research in the field of interior architecture, where the interior and other contractors need to reevaluate the relationship between employees and the office in terms of a green and sustainable indoor environment. Our fundamental act of dividing working spaces is a way of understanding where humans belong in the built environment. This study compares the IEQ of conventional office buildings to sustainable office buildings that are certified under the LEED system of green buildings. In this time of growing concerns about sustainability and awareness of the negative effects that buildings have on their occupants, green buildings have been promoted as sustainable solutions to these problems. Technical performance metrics are utilized in the evaluation of LEED-certified buildings; may result in a mismatch between the measured and perceived performance from the user's perspective. This raises the question of whether convention office buildings' indoor environments can be enhanced by the LEED rating system. As a result, this study aims to develop a framework for assessing workplace environments that considers sustainability and human considerations and targets to include office facilities that wish to promote the environmental management and interior comfort of green offices. The review utilizes different methodology in three stages to analyze the perceptions of occupants in conventional office building in Nicosia Tax Office and ten other buildings worldwide that have received the LEED certification. Phase I observations to document the physical work environment and users' behavioral interactions with the environment. Phase II deep interviews are used to learn about the experiences of the occupants, investigate potential IEQ factors, and define the components of a human workplace. Questionnaires were distributed simultaneously to gauge the relationship between occupant perceptions and the IEQ factors derived from the literature. Phase III is the qualitative analysis used to collect vigorously experts' perspectives and experiences on the crucial aspects of evaluating occupant well-being in office buildings to support, draw a conclusion, and strengthen the validity of the findings. In the study compared the perceptions of occupants of "green" and "conventional" office buildings, Eleven (11) IEQ factors that influence the experience in office work environments were investigated. Results show both structure types follow indoor plan principles, while the indoor climate quality in green structures is superior to that in conventional structures. Work productivity was slightly higher in green buildings, but there were no significant physical or behavioural differences between the two types of buildings. These findings suggest that there is a need for deeper comprehension and improvement of the performance–satisfaction gap, which challenges the idea that green buildings have a greater impact on both work performance and occupant satisfaction than conventional buildings. Keywords: Green Building, Health and Well-Being, Interior Design, Indoor Environment, LEED, Office Buildings, Sustainability Office