Currently, the built environment accounts for about 40% of the total energy consumed in the European Union and this level is continuing to increase. This high level of energy consumption is partially a result of attempts to create an optimum indoor environment for the occupants of buildings. New buildings and renovation projects on existing buildings need to improve their energy performance while maintaining a good and healthy indoor environment. One way of saving energy is to build passive houses. This paper presents the results of a case study of some of the first certified passive houses in Denmark, called Comfort Houses. The indoor environment is evaluated using both quantitative measurements of these houses and qualitative interviews with the occupants about their experiences of the indoor environment. The combination of these two sets of knowledge leads to a more complete and holistic picture of the indoor environment. It is shown that attention needs to be paid to the objectives in the design process, the documentation of the designs and on the occupant's lifestyle and behaviour. Finally, it is important to educate the occupants on how to live in an appropriate manner to achieve a comfortable indoor environment.
In research and assessment of indoor environmental quality (IEQ), the terms ‘Comfort’, ‘Health’ and ‘Well-being’ are often used interchangeably without a clear definition of terms or effects on conditions for occupants. This calls for a systematic restructuring of the ontological approach to IEQ and, based on a meta-analysis of recent IEQ literature, the authors suggest three substantial contributions: 1) A framework consisting of comfort, health and well-being as three equal branches of IEQ to increase focus on previously neglected aspects and make inter-domain relations more transparent. 2) The identification of key IEQ trends and by extension suggestions for formal definitions of three main domains as part of a multidisciplinary conceptual framework for working holistically with IEQ. 3) The introduction of positive stimuli to IEQ assessment as opposed to the predominance of focus on the absence of negative parameters of current practice. Through including this positive stimuli dimension, the field of IEQ shifts from ‘not bad’ to ‘truly good’, encouraging the design of enriched environments to further positive experiences improving occupant well-being.
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