Data on human movement are valuable input data for building-simulation tools such as indoor-climate simulation and working-condition assessment. However, reliable data on human movement in buildings are scarcely available. Existing human-movement models are, typically, developed for (semi)public spaces and lack applicability to indoor spaces. The research presented here focuses on indoor office-building spaces and normal working conditions. The simulation model was developed in conjunction with a validation method. Web-based diaries and radio frequency identification technology were used to collect data on human behaviour in a real-life situation. The performance of the model was tested against a set of newly developed criterion variables (for example, the usage of facilities or the movement behaviour of employees) related to human movement in building spaces. Observed and predicted movement patterns were compared for these criteria. Results indicate close correspondence between simulated and observed behaviour, providing evidence of the validity of the model. The model can be used to accurately predict the space utilisation of an organisation.
The Human-Computer interface is crucial to good design support tools. It has to be non-interruptive and non-distracting, yet allow the architect to interact with the computer software.The physical reality of the interface, such as the shape and manipulability of devices like the mouse, keyboard, joystick, or dataglove, has to be mapped on actions and commands in the software. Already the current user interfaces are felt to be inadequate for a good support of design, and the functionality of design tools is growing, requiring even more and new physical interface devices. In this paper, we present research on new tangible interfaces for architectural design support. In particular, we focus on the research methodological question how to investigate such devices.The research strategy is introduced and discussed, after which concrete implementations of this strategy are shown. Based on this work, we conclude that the combination of interface and the context of its use in terms of design method and user needs form crucial aspects for such research and cannot be considered separately.
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Summary. This paper presents the validation of an office utilisation model for the research project called "User Simulation of Space Utilisation (USSU)". The result of this research is a system that can be used for analysing and evaluating the space utilisation of a building for any given organisation. A system for building usage simulation that produces data about activities of members of an organisation can substantially improve the relevance and performance of building simulation tools. This is relevant for engineering domains as well as for architects to evaluate the performance of a building design. For a thorough evaluation of the system an experiment was executed for assessing its predictive quality in the context of a real building, organisation and actual human behaviour; this experiment was executed using RFID technology. The result of the experiment was observed data about the space utilisation of the selected organisation. This data set was compared with the space utilisation predicted by the USSU system to evaluate the simulation model. The validation of USSU showed that there were no significant differences between the predicated and observed activity behaviour. As a consequence, the output of USSU is considered to be valid.
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