How do the people using low energy buildings actually deal with these somewhat extreme constructions
Modern office buildings can be constructed in a way that keeps their energy consumption extremely low during operation. An important question that arises in this context is how the users deal with these somewhat extreme constructions. The project identifies the necessary parameters for more user satisfaction and analyses how people can be motivated to participate in the concept to achieve optimal building operation.
Emphasis is put on gender and diversity issues. Requirements and behavior of users of different gender, age, ethnic groups, lifestyles, education levels etc. are being examined. The developed recommendations will support facility managers of service buildings and provide evidence for future planning processes for buildings and for building automation.
First, qualitative interviews will provide a picture of user behaviour and its implications for building operation. This will also help to identify the factors which determine behaviour and user satisfaction on a personal and a logistic level, Then, using the method of agent-based social simulation, the influence of attitudes, knowledge, decision-making structure and mutual influence of users and the resulting collective behaviour and its effects on building operation will be simulated. Finally, experts, facility managers and building operators will present their evaluation of user interviews and the simulation as well as their experience with good practice through interviews and workshops.
The recommendations for building planners, property developers, house technicians and facility managers are supposed to be presented via an online tool. The overall outcome includes
This paper aims to improve our knowledge of energy use and well-being in energy efficient office buildings. It explores the interrelations between forms and patterns of energy use on the one hand and user satisfaction, comfort, and well-being on the other hand. Findings are derived from qualitative and quantitative data collected in a recently finished research project in Austria. Fieldwork consisted of two qualitative case studies as well as an online-based survey amongst users of energy efficient office buildings. In addition, secondary data from energy-monitoring research was used to underpin the analysis. The results show that extremely low levels of energy use in office buildings can be aligned with high levels of well-being. Based on empirical findings the paper argues that both well-being and energy performance in office buildings are the result of a complex, on-going and intertwined process that involves various material and social elements.
-> Energy-efficient design principles have recently become more popular in office buildings.
-> So far, there is little research on how the various measures for extremely low energy consumption affect the well-being of building users.
-> Preliminary results of an ITA study show that people working in the surveyed office buildings are very satisfied with the indoor climate and other workplace conditions even at ultra-low en- ergy consumption.
-> Neue Überwachungstechnologien ermöglichen immer tiefere Einblicke in das Leben eines jeden Einzelnen von uns.
-> Sicherheitsmaßnahmen greifen mehr und mehr auf Überwachung zurück, mit dem Argument, dass ein Mehr an Sicherheit eben Eingriffe in Grundrechte erfordere.
-> BürgerInnen sehen dies differenzierter: Der Einsatz von Überwachungstechnologien wird nicht per se abgelehnt, aber kritisch gesehen und sollte daher prinzipiell begrenzt, strikt reguliert und kontrolliert werden.
-> Der Datenschutz sollte verbessert werden, auch bei Sicherheitstechnologien. Außerdem sollte Sicherheit eine öffentliche Aufgabe bleiben und die sozialen Wurzeln von Unsicherheit müssten bekämpft werden.
02/2012 - 12/2013
