CHILDREN SPEND MOST OF THEIR LIVES IN SCHOOL CLASSROOMS, SO THE QUALITY OF THE INDOOR ENVIRONMENT IS VERY SIGNIFICANT FOR THEIR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND GENERAL WELL-BEING. THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS THE RESULTS OF A RESEARCH PROJECT THAT LOOKED AT THERMAL PERFORMANCE AND PASSIVE DESIGN STRATEGIES IN SCHOOL CLASSROOMS LOCATED IN THREE DIFFERENT CLIMATES OF CHILE. IT IS ORGANIZED INTO TWO PARTS: FIRSTLY, IT PRESENTS AN ASSESSMENT OF THE THERMAL CONDITIONS INSIDE PRIMARY SCHOOL CLASSROOMS BASED ON MEASUREMENTS THAT WERE TAKEN IN BOTH WINTER AND SUMMER. THESE SHOWED THAT CHILDREN ARE GENERALLY EXPOSED TO VERY LOW TEMPERATURES IN WINTER, AS MOST CLASSROOMS ARE NEITHER HEATED NOR COOLED BY ACTIVE MEANS. SECONDLY, IT PROVIDES A PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS OF A BASIC SCHOOL CLASSROOM TYPOLOGY AT THE SAME LOCATIONS. THIS INVOLVED DETERMINING THE IMPACT OF A LARGE NUMBER OF COMBINATIONS OF SIMPLE PASSIVE STRATEGIES ON OVERALL ENERGY PERFORMANCE AND IDENTIFYING THE BEST CASE FOR EACH LOCATION.

THE CURRENT DEPLETION OF FOSSIL FUELS AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION ARE REQUIRING GREATER ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN BUILDINGS, PARTICULARLY IN THE RESIDENTIAL SECTOR. HOWEVER, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT ACTIONS FOR DWELLINGS ARE USUALLY BASED ON GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS, WITHOUT IDENTIFYING THE MOST APPROPRIATE MEASUREMENTS TO BE TAKEN IN EACH CASE, OR REVIEWING THEIR APPLICATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS. THIS ARTICLE PUTS FORWARD A STRATEGY TO PROPOSE EFFECTIVE AND FEASIBLE MODIFICATIONS IN THE DESIGN OR REFURBISHMENT OF SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES TO REDUCE ENERGY USE WHILE MAINTAINING INDOOR COMFORT. THE IMPROVEMENTS PROPOSED ARE BASED ON DYNAMIC ENERGY SIMULATIONS OF INDIVIDUAL MODELS ADAPTED TO LOCAL REALITIES THAT CAN BE CARRIED OUT BY REGULAR PROFESSIONALS. THE PROCESS INCLUDES THE REVIEW OF STUDIES AND INFORMATION ON THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA, AND COMPILATION OF THE CONSTRUCTIVE FEATURES AND OCCUPANCY DATA OF EACH HOUSE TO CREATE A PROPER ENERGY BEHAVIOUR MODEL. POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE BUILDING ARE THEN SIMULATED SEPARATELY IN EACH MODEL AND THE RESULTS RECORDED. SUBSEQUENTLY, A BUDGETARY ANALYSIS OF THESE ALTERNATIVES ACCORDING TO CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS IS CARRIED OUT IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY RETROFIT PACKAGES AND CONSULT THE OPINIONS OF RESIDENTS AND BUILDERS. THE APPLICATION OF THIS STRATEGY IS DEMONSTRATED IN THE STUDY OF SEVERAL HOUSES IN CONCEPCIÓN, CHILE, WHERE DIFFERENT SETS OF MEASURES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED TO ACHIEVE HIGH REDUCTIONS IN ENERGY DEMAND WHILE HAVING LOW COST AND BEING HIGHLY APPRECIATED BY THE PARTICIPANTS. THIS PROVIDES A METHODOLOGY FOR DEVELOPING AND VALIDATING EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT OF EXISTING DWELLINGS AND NEW HOUSING PROJECTS.

HOMES ARE ONE OF THE MAJOR ENERGY CONSUMERS AND GENERATE SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IN CHILE AND GLOBALLY. THE IMPROVEMENT OF EXISTING BUILDINGS OR NEW PROJECTS IS A PROCEDURE BASED ON MULTIDIMENSIONAL SIMULATIONS AND THE ENERGY EVALUATION OF HOUSING. HOWEVER, THERE IS A LACK OF STRATEGIES TO IDENTIFY APPROPRIATE MODIFICATIONS. NORMALLY, THE ORIGINAL SITUATION IS COMPARED WITH AN IMPROVED SCENARIO ACCORDING TO GENERAL ESTIMATES, BUT WITHOUT ANALYZING THE MOST EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVES, BUILDING PROCESS, ECONOMIC PROJECTIONS OR ACCEPTABILITY FOR THE OCCUPANTS. BASED ON THE STUDY OF A DOZEN, REPRESENTATIVE DWELLINGS IN SOUTH-CENTRAL CHILE, IN WHICH CONSTRUCTION RECORDS, COMPUTER MODELS, ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING, AND OCCUPANCY PATTERNS WERE COMPARED, THIS WORK PRESENTS A METHODOLOGY FOR THE EFFECTIVE ANALYSIS OF RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT. CONSIDERING A SELECTION OF RELEVANT EXISTING OR PROJECTED CONDITIONS, ENERGY SIMULATION WAS CARRIED OUT ACCORDING TO CONSOLIDATED BACKGROUND INFORMATION, AND ALTERNATIVES WERE IDENTIFIED ACCORDING TO A CATALOG OF SUITABLE BUILDING SOLUTIONS FOR EACH TYPE OF HOUSING STUDIED. THUS, PERFORMANCE RESULTS WERE ANALYZED USING A METHODOLOGY KNOWN AS LIFE-CYCLE COST ANALYSIS (LCCA) FOR THE FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF THE SIMULATED ALTERNATIVES IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE MOST EFFECTIVE ACTION PACKAGES. IN THIS WAY, CONSTRUCTION PROPOSALS WERE CREATED, APPLIED THROUGH COMPUTER SIMULATIONS AND IMPLEMENTED IN REALITY. THE PURPOSE OF THIS WORK IS TO COMPARE THE VALUES OF ENERGY SAVINGS PRODUCED BY IMPROVEMENTS OBTAINED WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS PROGRAMS, WITH THE RESULTS OF BUILDING MONITORING.

CHILE, LIKE MANY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, PRESENTS A CONTINUOUS RESIDENTIAL GROWTH AND OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION, BUT WITH A SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. THE NATION HAS IMPLEMENTED PROGRAMS AND REGULATIONS, BUT THERE IS A LACK OF DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE HOUSING PERFORMANCE. THIS PAPER PRESENTS A NOVEL STRATEGY FOR THE ANALYSIS OF URBAN SINGLE HOUSING IN THE CENTRE-SOUTH AREA OF THE COUNTRY, TO FOSTER EFFECTIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS. THE ANALYSIS IS BASED ON BUILDING STATISTICS AND THE REVIEW OF FIFTY HOMES, AS WELL AS ENERGY SIMULATION, WITH MODELING AND LONG-TIME MONITORING OF A DOZEN OF THESE CASES. SOME EXPERIENCES OF IMPROVED HOUSING DESIGN AND REFURBISHMENT WERE ALSO EXAMINED. THIS RESEARCH WORK IDENTIFIES ENERGY PERFORMANCE PATTERNS AND RELATED ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTERISTICS. IT HAS MANAGED SPECIFIC CONDITIONS TO SIMULATE THIS REGIONAL TYPOLOGY BY CLIMATE, GEOMETRY, OCCUPANCY, MATERIALITY AND EQUIPMENT, DEMONSTRATING DIFFERENCES IN COMFORT LEVELS AND BUILDING QUALITY. AT THE END THE STUDY REVEALS A CONFLICT BETWEEN USER?S EXPECTATIONS AND CONSTRUCTION QUALITY, WHICH MUST BE FACED IN THE DESIGN PROCESS WITH ACTIONS ON LINE WITH LOCAL DEVELOPMENT.

EL ELEVADO CONSUMO DE ENERGÍA A NIVEL RESIDENCIAL, PROVOCADO EN PARTE POR LA ESCASA PREOCUPACIÓN QUE EXISTÍA HASTA HACE UNOS AÑOS POR GENERAR VIVIENDAS EFICIENTES, ES HOY EN DÍA UN ASUNTO CADA VEZ MÁS IMPORTANTE. EL PRESENTE ESTUDIO RECOGE DICHO PROBLEMA, A TRAVÉS DE UNA EVALUACIÓN ENFOCADA A DETERMINAR LAS VENTAJAS QUE TIENE LA UBICACIÓN DE LA AISLACIÓN TÉRMICA EN LOS MUROS DE UNA VIVIENDA, PARA LOGRAR UNA REDUCCIÓN DE LOS COSTOS EN CALEFACCIÓN. CON ESE FIN, SE REALIZA UNA SELECCIÓN DE SISTEMAS DE MEJORAMIENTO APLICABLES A TRES CASOS DE ESTUDIO. EN ELLOS, SE CARACTERIZAN LOS ASPECTOS MÁS RELEVANTES, SIENDO POSTERIORMENTE SIMULADOS PARA UN ANÁLISIS DE DEMANDA Y TRANSMITANCIA TÉRMICA. ADEMÁS, LAS SOLUCIONES SE EVALÚAN BAJO EL SUPUESTO DE SER APLICABLES A UNA ALTERNATIVA EXISTENTE EN LA ACTUALIDAD, ES DECIR, LA ASIGNACIÓN DE UN SUBSIDIO DE MEJORAMIENTO, DISPONIBLE EN CHILE. LAS MISMAS VENTAJAS SON MEDIDAS A TRAVÉS DE TÉCNICAS DE ANÁLISIS ECONÓMICO PARA SISTEMAS CONSTRUCTIVOS, BASADAS EN LA METODOLOGÍA ASTM, CUYO OBJETIVO ES VERIFICAR SI LA MAYOR INVERSIÓN INICIAL EN UN DETERMINADO SISTEMA, SE COMPENSA O NO POR MEDIO DE LA DISMINUCIÓN DE LOS COSTOS FUTUROS, IDENTIFICANDO ASIMISMO LOS ASPECTOS MÁS DETERMINANTES EN ESE PROCESO.

THE EVALUATION OF CRACKS AND FISSURES IN BRIDGE STRUCTURES IS ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE THE LONG-TERM SAFETY, DURABILITY, AND FUNCTIONALITY OF THESE INFRASTRUCTURES. IN THIS SENSE, PROCESSING GRAYSCALE IMAGES AND ADJUSTING BRIGHTNESS AND CONTRAST LEVELS CAN IMPROVE THE VISIBILITY OF CRACKS AND FISSURES IN BRIDGE STRUCTURES. THESE TECHNIQUES, COMPLEMENTED BY PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE AND EFFICIENT INSPECTION TOOLS SUCH AS UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES (UAVS), ALLOW FOR A COMPREHENSIVE AND ACCURATE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY ASSESSMENT. THIS STUDY USED THE EDGE DETECTION TECHNIQUE TO ANALYZE PHOTOGRAPHS OBTAINED WITH A LOW-COST UAV AS A MEANS OF IMAGE CAPTURE. THIS TOOL WAS USED TO REACH HARD-TO-REACH AREAS WHERE THERE COULD BE DAMAGE, THUS MAKING IT EASIER TO DETECT FISSURES OR CRACKS. TO CAPTURE THE FAILURES, TWO CASE STUDIES, A SMALL BRIDGE AND A LARGE BRIDGE, WERE SELECTED, BOTH LOCATED IN CONCEPCION CITY IN SOUTHERN CHILE. DURING BOTH INSPECTIONS, CRACKS WERE DETECTED THAT COULD AFFECT THE STRUCTURE OF THE BRIDGES IN THE FUTURE. TO ANALYZE THESE FINDINGS, IMAGEJ SOFTWARE 1.54H WAS USED, WHICH ALLOWED THE LENGTH AND THICKNESS OF THE CRACKS TO BE MEASURED AND EVALUATED. IN ADDITION, TO VALIDATE THE PROCEDURE PROPOSED, REAL VALUES MANUALLY MEASURED ON-SITE WERE COMPARED WITH THOSE DELIVERED BY THE SOFTWARE ANALYSES, WHERE NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND. WITH THE METHOD PRESENTED IN THIS STUDY, IT WAS POSSIBLE TO QUANTIFY THE DAMAGE, FOLLOWING THE BRIDGE MAINTENANCE STANDARDS ESTABLISHED BY THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS OF CHILE, WHOSE INSPECTION CRITERIA CAN BE APPLIED TO OTHER PROJECTS WORLDWIDE.

CURRENTLY, THERE ARE FEW STUDIES AIMED AT EVALUATING THE INDOOR THERMAL COMFORT OF SPECIFIC CONTEXTS SUCH AS THAT OF CHILE, WHERE NATIONAL STANDARDS ARE BASED ON INTERNATIONAL REFERENCES AND ARE NOT MANDATORY. FOR THIS RESEARCH, A FIELD STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN 19 BUILDINGS IN CHILE: 10 IN CONCEPCIÓN AND 9 IN SANTIAGO. THERMAL COMFORT SURVEYS AND SIMULTANEOUS MEASUREMENTS WERE CARRIED OUT TO CALCULATE USERS COMFORT TEMPERATURES ACCORDING TO THEIR THERMAL SENSATION AND THERMAL PREFERENCE. THE COMFORT TEMPERATURES OBTAINED ARE COMPARED WITH THE COMFORT RANGES DEFINED BY NATIONAL STANDARDS AND DIFFERENTIATED BY THE MODES OF OPERATION OF THE CASE STUDIES: HEATING ONLY (HT); MIXED MODE (MM); AND HEATING, VENTILATED AND AIR CONDITIONED (HVAC). THE RESULTS SHOW THAT IN GENERAL, OCCUPANTS ADAPT THEMSELVES TO THE INDOOR OPERATIVE TEMPERATURES, ESPECIALLY WITH REGARD TO THEIR THERMAL PREFERENCE. THE NEUTRAL TEMPERATURES RANGE FROM 19.5 °C TO 24.6 °C AND THE PREFERRED TEMPERATURES RANGE FROM 19.9 °C TO 24.6 °C AMONGST ALL CASES STUDIED. WITH REGARD TO THE NATIONAL THERMAL COMFORT STANDARDS, THE SUSTAINABLE BUILDING CERTIFICATION SYSTEM (CES), WHICH IS BASED ON ASHRAE 55, AND THE TERMS OF REFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL COMFORT AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY (TDRE), THEIR ADAPTIVE METHOD IS APPLICABLE IN HT AND MM BUILDINGS WHEN OCCUPANTS HAVE ADAPTIVE OPPORTUNITIES. THE FINDINGS OF THE SUMMER FIELDWORK IN HVAC BUILDINGS DO NOT MATCH THE STEADY-STATE METHOD OF ASHRAE 55 (0.5 CLO) SINCE THE NEUTRAL AND PREFERRED TEMPERATURES, AS WELL AS THE OPERATIVE TEMPERATURES, ARE BELOW THE RANGE STIPULATED, ALTHOUGH THEY DO MATCH THE TDRE COMFORT RANGE.

THIS CHAPTER EXPLORES KEY ASPECTS OF INTEGRATED PROJECT DESIGN USING THE EXTREME COLLABORATION METHODOLOGY, WHICH ENABLES THE CONSTRUCTION OF BIM MODELS THAT INTEGRATE ARCHITECTURE, STRUCTURES, AND MEP, USING A ?WAR ROOM? OR ?INFORMATION ROOM? (I-ROOM) WHERE VARIOUS PROJECT SPECIALISTS INTERACT IN REAL TIME. TO ACHIEVE THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF INTEGRATION WITHIN A PROJECT, THE BIM MODEL IS THEN SENT TO A ROBOTIC ARM THAT THROUGH ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES, PRINTS CONCRETE ELEMENTS PREVIOUSLY DESIGNED IN THE I-ROOM?IN SHORT, TOTAL MACHINE?MACHINE INTEGRATION (BIM-ROBOT).

THIS STUDY DISCUSSES A METHODOLOGY PROPOSAL FOR THE DESIGN OF CONFORTABLE AND RESILIENT EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES. BASED ON FIELDWORK PERFORMED IN EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES THROUGHOUT CHILE, THE FIRST COMPONENT OF THE METHODOLOGY FOCUSED ON DETERMINING CONFORTABLE TEMPERATURES FOR SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN, WHICH ENDED UP BEING CONSIDERABLY LOWER THAN CURRENT STANDARDS, MAINLY DUE TO THE CHILDREN?S ABILITY TO ADAPT. THE SECOND COMPONENT OF THE METHODOLOGY INVOLVED IDENTIFYING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMFORT AND CHILDREN?S SCHOOL PERFORMANCE; THIS WAS AIMED AT ESTABLISHING THE BENEFITS OF IMPROVING THE FACILITIES? QUALITY IN TERMS OF THE STUDENTS? HEALTH AND WELLBEING. FINALLY, THE METHOD INCLUDED THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TOOL TO VIEW THE FINDINGS OF THE THERMAL SIMULATIONS IN PASSIVE BUILDINGS, WHEN THE OUTPUT IS INDOOR TEMPERATURE INSTEAD OF ENERGY DEMAND

CONTEMPORARY OFFICE BUILDINGS HAVE PRIMARILY ADOPTED ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY CRITERIA THROUGH THE GUIDELINES AND REQUIREMENTS OF DOMESTIC OR INTERNATIONAL GREEN BUILDING RATING SYSTEMS. THESE SYSTEMS INCORPORATE CRITERIA AIMED AT REDUCING RESOURCE CONSUMPTION AND THE BUILDING?S IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT INTO THEIR DESIGN, AS WELL AS CRITERIA TO IMPROVE INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (IEQ). HOWEVER, DOUBTS REMAIN ABOUT THE ABILITY OF GREEN RATING SYSTEMS TO GUARANTEE OCCUPANT SATISFACTION WITH THE BUILDING AND ITS INDOOR ENVIRONMENT IN CONTRAST WITH THEIR COUNTERPARTS. THIS RESEARCH IS BASED ON A FIELD STUDY COMPARING OCCUPANT SATISFACTION IN CERTIFIED GREEN OFFICE BUILDINGS WITH CONVENTIONAL BUILDINGS IN CHILE, FROM A SAMPLE OF 176 OCCUPANTS OF GREEN BUILDINGS AND 175 OCCUPANTS OF BUILDINGS (N = 351). THE STUDY INCLUDED A SURVEY OF OCCUPANTS AND THE MONITORING OF THERMAL CONDITIONS IN WORKSPACES. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN SATISFACTION AND COMFORT BETWEEN GREEN BUILDINGS AND THEIR CONVENTIONAL COUNTERPARTS. THE OCCUPANTS OF CONVENTIONAL BUILDINGS SHOWED TRENDS OF HIGHER OVERALL SATISFACTION FOR THE WINTER AND SUMMER MONTHS, AS WELL AS FOR WINTER AND SUMMER TEMPERATURES. THE OTHER CRITERIA, SUCH AS AIR IN WINTER AND SUMMER, SHOWED FAIRLY SIMILAR RESULTS IN BOTH BUILDING TYPES.

OFFICE WORKERS SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME INSIDE A BUILDING, AND AS A RESULT, PHYSICAL-ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES BEGIN TO PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THEIR PRODUCTIVITY AND PERFORMANCE. THIS STUDY ESTABLISHES A CONNECTION BETWEEN MACHINE LEARNING MODELS AND THE BEHAVIOR OF OCCUPANTS AND THE SELF- ASSESSED PRODUCTIVITY THEY EXHIBIT, THROUGH THE USE OF VARIOUS MODELS. THESE MODELS WERE IMPLEMENTED TO IDENTIFY AND COMPARE WHICH OF THEM BETTER ESTIMATE THIS BEHAVIOR, PARTICULARLY THE SELF-ASSESSED PRODUCTIVITY THAT INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCE IN THEIR WORKPLACE. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, PHYSICAL-ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES, AND THE PERCEPTIONS OF OCCUPANTS FROM VARIOUS OFFICE BUILDINGS IN THE CITY OF CONCEPCIÓN WERE COLLECTED. THIS STUDY SUCCESSFULLY COMPARES THE PERFORMANCE OF FOUR MACHINE LEARNING MODELS (DECISION TREE, K-NEAREST NEIGHBOR, BAYESIAN MODEL, AND NEURAL NETWORK). THEIR PERFORMANCE WAS MEASURED USING INDICATORS KNOWN AS ACCURACY, PRECISION, AND RECALL. THESE MODELS WERE APPLIED TO BOTH AN ORIGINAL DATABASE AND A BALANCED DATABASE, FOLLOWED BY A COMPARISON OF THE RESULTS OBTAINED. IT CAN BE ESTABLISHED THAT THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICAL-ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES AND THE SELF-ASSESSED PRODUCTIVITY OF WORKERS. FURTHERMORE, IT CAN BE MENTIONED THAT THE NEURAL NETWORK IS THE MODEL THAT BEST DESCRIBES THIS RELATIONSHIP AND, THEREFORE, ACHIEVES THE HIGHEST PERFORMANCE. THIS STUDY PROVIDES AN APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING OCCUPANT BEHAVIOR FROM A MACHINE LEARNING PERSPECTIVE.

NOWADAYS, BIM (BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING) HAS STEADILY BEEN INTRODUCED INTO THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AS A PROMISING METHODOLOGY FOR MANAGING PROJECTS. THEREFORE, IT IS NECESSARY TO STUDY THE USERS OF ITS PROCESSES. WORLDWIDE, THERE ARE ALREADY SYSTEMS THAT CLASSIFY COMPANIES ACCORDING TO HOW THEY USE BIM, ALTHOUGH ONLY A FEW STUDIES HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED ON HOW INDIVIDUAL USERS ARE CLASSIFIED. HENCE, THE PRESENT STUDY SOUGHT TO DEVELOP A MODEL THAT CHARACTERIZED BIM USERS BASED ON SEVERAL PARAMETERS. THE METHODOLOGY EMPLOYED DEFINED VARIABLES BASED ON A LITERATURE REVIEW, WHICH EXPERTS SUBSEQUENTLY VALIDATED. THESE VARIABLES MADE IT POSSIBLE TO DEVELOP THE MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENT: A STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE APPLIED TO CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS. THE NECESSARY PARAMETERS FOR THE USER CHARACTERIZATION MODEL WERE EXTRACTED USING THE PARTIAL LEAST SQUARES (PLS) METHOD. THIS MODEL MET THE STRUCTURAL EVALUATION AND MEASUREMENT CRITERIA, WHICH CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS VALID AND RELIABLE. IT WAS FOUND THAT THREE MAIN ASPECTS MAINLY CHARACTERIZED USERS: (I) THEIR USE AND COMMAND OF THE SOFTWARE AND THE METHODOLOGY, (II) THE EXPERIENCE AND DEGREE OF ADOPTION OF THE TECHNOLOGY, AND (III) THE INDIVIDUAL'S KNOWLEDGE OF PROCESS LEVELS AND STANDARDIZATION CONCERNING BIM.

THE EVALUATION OF PRODUCTIVITY IN OFFICE BUILDINGS IS PARTICULARLY COMPLEX; STUDIES INDICATE THAT OCCUPANTS? PERCEPTIONS REFLECT THERMAL CONDITIONS AND ARE THEREFORE AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT TO CONSIDER. THIS RESEARCH REVEALS THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS AND RELATIVE INFLUENCES OF THE THERMAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS OF OFFICES ON THE PERCEIVED PRODUCTIVITY OF WORKERS. THROUGH FIELDWORK CONDUCTED IN WINTER AND SUMMER IN 18 CHILEAN OFFICE BUILDINGS, INFORMATION WAS COLLECTED FROM 940 OCCUPANTS ON 32 VARIABLES RELATED TO THE THERMAL ENVIRONMENT AND SELF-PERCEIVED PRODUCTIVITY. A TOTAL OF 3551 RESPONSES WERE USED TOGETHER WITH ENVIRONMENTAL AND PHYSICAL DATA ON THE INDOOR BUILT SPACE TO FORMULATE A MODEL THAT RECOGNIZES THE EFFECT OF THE THERMAL ENVIRONMENT ON PRODUCTIVITY. IN THIS MODEL, THE CONSTRUCTS OF INDIVIDUAL THERMAL SENSATION, THERMAL PREFERENCE, AND THERMAL ACCEPTABILITY ARE MEDIATING VARIABLES THAT ORIGINATE IN DIFFERENT OFFICE PARAMETERS AND INFLUENCE PERCEIVED PRODUCTIVITY. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE MODEL WAS VALIDATED AND SPECIFIED FOLLOWING THE SEM METHODOLOGY, THEREBY RESULTING IN A REDUCED MODEL OF 10 SIGNIFICANT VARIABLES. AN ANALYSIS OF THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS ESTABLISHED THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE VARIABLES ASSOCIATED WITH THE DESIGN OF BUILT SPACE AND THE MANAGEMENT OF COMFORT STRATEGIES CONSIDERING WORK PRODUCTIVITY.

PLANNING AND SCHEDULING TOOLS USED BY CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS NOWADAYS NOT ALWAYS CONSIDER THE EFFECT OF VARIABILITY IN THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS; THEY DO NOT CONSIDER EXPLICITLY THE EFFECT OF CHANGES IN ACTIVITY DURATIONS ALONG THE PRODUCTION CHAIN. DISCRETE EVENT SIMULATION APPROACH IS A RELEVANT EXCEPTION THAT DESERVES PARTICULAR ATTENTION FROM THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. THE PRESENT RESEARCH PROPOSES A DISCRETE EVENT SIMULATION MODEL APPLIED TO A SIMPLIFIED CONSTRUCTION PROCESS SCHEDULE. THIS MODEL CONSIDERED MAIN CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES DIVIDED IN: FOUNDATIONS, STRUCTURE AND ROOFING. THE MODEL CAN BE EXTENDED AND EASILY APPLIED TO OTHER CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES. INPUT PARAMETERS FOR THE MODEL WERE OBTAINED DIRECTLY FROM ON-SITE FIELD EXPERIENCE AND A BETA UNIMODAL DISTRIBUTION ASSIGNED. ON A FIRST STAGE, PERT SCHEDULING METHODOLOGY WAS USED FOR THE MODEL, WHICH WAS LATER COMPARED WITH DISCRETE EVENT SIMULATION. RESULTS DID NOT PROVIDE EVIDENCE OF SIGNIFICANT STATISTICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DIFFERENT PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION USED WITH RESPECT TO THE MEAN PROJECT DURATION OBTAINED USING PERT SCHEDULING AS COMPARED TO THE DISCRETE EVENT SIMULATION MODEL. THIS PROVIDES CONCLUSIONS ABOUT TOTAL PROJECT DURATION AND VALIDATION OF THE PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION TYPES CONSIDERED IN THE PRESENT RESEARCH.

THE NEED TO REDUCE RESIDENTIAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION NECESSITATES FULL KNOWLEDGE OF HOUSING CONDITIONS. THIS INVESTIGATION ANALYZED DWELLINGS IN THE SOUTH-CENTRAL REGION OF CHILE. SPATIAL DISPERSION IN ENERGY BEHAVIORS WAS DISCOVERED, WHICH CONTRAS ITS WITH THE HOMOGENEITY OF PUBLICPOLICY HOUSING DECISIONS. A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW IS RESENTED OF FORTY HOUSES IN THE GREATER CONCEPCION METROPOLITAN AREA, IN COMPARISON WITH NATIONAL AND REGIONAL STATISTICS. AN EXAMINATION OF BUILDING CONDITIONS AND FEATURES, OCCUPATION DATA, PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORDS AND INTERVIEWS, REVEALED FORMAL AND FAMILIAL VARIETY, WHICH DIFFER FROM STEREOTYPES AND GENERAL RECORDS. FINDINGS DEMONSTRATE HOUSING PROGRESSION AND DIVERSITY IN ENERGY NEEDS. IN THIS WAY, A RESEARCH STRATEGY WAS USED THAT EXPRESSES RESIDENTIAL EVOLUTION AND CAN BE APPLIED IN OTHER AREAS, AND PROVIDES A NEW VISION OF DOMESTIC BEHAVIOR TO CONFRONT THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS

THE EVALUATION OF WORK PRODUCTIVITY IN THE OFFICE BUILDING ENVIRONMENT IS A PARTICULARLY COMPLEX PHENOMENON. ALTHOUGH THESE BUILDINGS HAVE VARYING ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNS AND MANAGEMENT CRITERIA FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONING SYSTEMS, THEIR THERMAL ENVIRONMENTS ARE OFTEN MODERATE. IT IS IMPORTANT THEN TO CONSIDER OFFICE THERMAL CONDITIONS, SINCE THEY AFFECT OCCUPANT PERCEPTION OF THE WORKSPACE AND UNDESIRABLE VARIATIONS, HOWEVER SMALL, CAN TRANSLATE INTO DISSATISFACTION, DISTRACTION, OR ADAPTATION THAT IMPACT WORK ENGAGEMENT. IN THIS CHAPTER, THE SELF-ASSESSED PRODUCTIVITY OF OFFICE OCCUPANTS IN RELATION TO THE THERMAL ENVIRONMENT WILL BE EXAMINED IN THE CHILEAN CONTEXT. SPECIFICALLY, ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS AND THE ARRANGEMENT OF OFFICE SPACES ARE ANALYSED IN CONTRAST TO OCCUPANTS? PERCEPTIONS USING CROSS-SECTIONAL AND RETROSPECTIVE QUESTIONNAIRES. SINCE WORKSPACES AND THEIR NATURE HAVE CHANGED IN RECENT YEARS, THIS RESEARCH SEEKS TO ANALYSE THE FACTORS PRESENT IN THE THERMAL ENVIRONMENT THAT MAY INTERACT SIMULTANEOUSLY ON THE OCCUPANTS IN THEIR WORKSPACES.

THIS PAPER PRESENTS THE RESULTS OF A FIELD STUDY ON THERMAL COMFORT IN SCHOOL BUILDINGS IN CHILE, THE AIM OF WHICH WAS TO DETERMINE THE COMFORT TEMPERATURE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN. RESULTS ARE GIVEN FOR TWELVE SCHOOLS THAT ARE LOCATED IN SANTIAGO, A CITY WITH RELATIVELY LOW TEMPERATURES IN WINTER AND HIGH TEMPERATURES IN SUMMER, AND THAT ARE TYPICALLY FREE-RUNNING, AS THEY HAVE NEITHER A HEATING NOR A COOLING SYSTEM. THE METHODOLOGY INCLUDED MEASUREMENTS OF THERMAL PARAMETERS COMPLEMENTED WITH QUESTIONNAIRES BASED ON THE ADAPTIVE COMFORT MODEL AND MODIFIED TO BE UNDERSTOOD BY 9?10 YEAR-OLD STUDENTS. THE FIELDWORK WAS ORGANISED INTO TWO PHASES: WINTER (JULY?AUGUST) AND SPRING (NOVEMBER?DECEMBER), AND IN EACH PHASE STUDENTS ANSWERED THE QUESTIONNAIRE UP TO THREE TIMES PER DAY OVER A PERIOD OF THREE TO FOUR DAYS. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT INDOOR TEMPERATURES IN THE CLASSROOMS ARE EXTREMELY LOW DURING OCCUPANCY HOURS IN WINTER AND QUITE HIGH IN SPRING, BUT THE STUDENTS THERMAL SENSATION VOTES SHOW THAT THEY TEND TO ADAPT QUITE DRAMATICALLY TO THIS WIDE VARIATION. COMFORT TEMPERATURE IS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THAT CALCULATED FROM THE ADAPTIVE COMFORT MODEL AS ESTABLISHED FOR ADULTS, WITH TEMPERATURES AS LOW AS 14.7 °C - 15.6 °C IN WINTER AND 22.5 °C ? 23.1 °C IN SPRING. ADDITIONALLY, STUDENTS FROM HIGHLY VULNERABLE SCHOOLS VOTED FOR A LOWER COMFORT TEMPERATURE IN WINTER THAN THOSE FROM LESS VULNERABLE REALITIES, THEREBY IMPLYING THAT THERE IS A STRONG RELATION BETWEEN COMFORT TEMPERATURE AND THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUND OF SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THIS CONTEXT.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE PLEA 2016. 32ND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PASSIVE AND LOW ENERGY ARCHITECTURE. CITIES, BUILDINGS PEOPLE: TOWARD REGENERATIVE ENVIRONMENTS. 11-13 JULIO 2015, LOS ANGELES

THIS STUDY EXAMINES THE PERCEIVED PRODUCTIVITY OF OFFICE OCCUPANTS IN MODERATE THERMAL ENVIRONMENTS IN CHILE. SPECIFICALLY, IT ANALYSES ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS AND CONTRASTS PARTICIPANTS? SELF-REPORTED ANSWERS TO CROSS-SECTIONAL AND RETROSPECTIVE QUESTIONNAIRES. TO THIS END, DATA WERE COLLECTED FOR ONE DAY IN WINTER AND ONE DAY IN SUMMER, IN EIGHTEEN OFFICE BUILDINGS IN THE CITIES OF CONCEPCIÓN AND SANTIAGO. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT THE AVERAGE OPERATIVE TEMPERATURES ARE 22.2?°C IN WINTER AND 23.5?°C IN SUMMER. 80.5% OF THE OCCUPANTS DECLARED THEIR PRODUCTIVITY TO BE NORMAL ON THE CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. HOWEVER, ON THE RETROSPECTIVE SURVEY, 82.7% SAID THAT THEIR PRODUCTIVITY IS AFFECTED BY THE THERMAL ENVIRONMENT. TO REVEAL THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PERCEIVED PRODUCTIVITY AND THE THERMAL ENVIRONMENT, A CATEGORICAL PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS ANALYSIS WAS CARRIED OUT. IT DEMONSTRATED THAT THERE IS ONLY A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CROSS-SECTIONAL AND RETROSPECTIVE PRODUCTIVITY IN WINTER. SUBSEQUENTLY, A GOOD-FITTING STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL WAS CREATED, WHICH SHOWED THAT DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIPS EXIST BETWEEN THE VARIABLES. THESE FINDINGS COULD ENABLE ORGANIZATIONS AND DESIGN PROFESSIONALS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND OCCUPANTS? PERCEIVED PRODUCTIVITY IN RELATION TO THERMAL CONDITIONS IN OFFICE BUILDINGS.