PERSONAL COMFORT SYSTEMS (PCS) ARE EQUIPMENTS THAT HEAT AND/OR COOL OCCUPANTS WITHOUT AFFECTING SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENTS, RANGING FROM COMMONLY USED DEVICES TO INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES, AND THAT TEND TO BE CONTROLLED BY PEOPLE. THESE SYSTEMS AIM TO ADDRESS ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND OCCUPANT SATISFACTION ISSUES RELATED TO CENTRALISED AIR-CONDITIONING. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SYSTEMATIC STUDIES ON THESE SYSTEMS, THERE IS A LACK OF DOCUMENTATION REGARDING MEDIATION CHARACTERISTICS BETWEEN PEOPLE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF PCS USING A SEARCH OF ACADEMIC LITERATURE AND PATENTS, CLASSIFYING PCS BASED ON THERMAL CATEGORIES AND DEVICE TYPOLOGIES WHILE INTRODUCING POST-PHENOMENOLOGICAL MEDIATION CATEGORIES. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT MOST PCS FALL INTO THE THERMAL CATEGORIES OF

ABSTRACT. RETROFITTING OF EXISTING BUILDINGS OFFERS SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITIES TO REDUCE GLOBAL ENERGY USEAND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. THEREFORE, IT IS CONSIDERED AS ONE OF THE MAIN APPROACHES TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AT A RELATIVELY LOW COST. ALTHOUGH THERE IS A WIDE RANGE OF RETROFITTING TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE, METHODS TO IDENTIFY THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE MEASURES FOR EACH PROJECT REMAIN A MAJOR TECHNICAL CHALLENGE. NUMEROUS PROJECTS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPEDWORLDWIDE TO FACE THIS CHALLENGE WITH DIFFERENT APPROACHES; HOWEVER, MANY OF THE TOOLS MEET ONLY LOCAL OBJECTIVES, WHICH IS WHY THEY ARE UNKNOWN IN THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA, SHOWING A LIMITED TRANSFER OF KNOWLEDGE. THIS REVIEW ORGANIZES THE RESULTS UNDER THREE CATEGORIES: RENOVATION ASSESSMENT, FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT,AND TRANSFER OF KNOWLEDGE.THE TOOLS FOCUSING ON PROMOTING THE RENOVATION OF BUILDINGS DIFFER IN THE TYPE OF USER,FOR EXAMPLE, THE OWNERS, POLITICIANS,ORINVESTORS.THE TOOLS DEALING WITHFINANCIAL ASSESSMENT SUGGEST DIFFERENTMETHODSTO EVALUATE AND CALCULATETHECOST SAVINGS, CONSTRUCTION COSTS, ANDRETURN FORECASTSTHROUGH RETROFIT INTERVENTIONS. OTHER TOOLS COMPLY WITH THE POLICIES THAT SEEK TO REGISTER, EVALUATE,AND CHARACTERIZE THE EXISTING BUILDINGS. THIS REVIEW PROVIDES RESEARCHERS, CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS, AND POLITICIANS WITH A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE ADVANCES MADETO EFFECTIVELY DESIGN BUILDINGRETROFITTING MEASURESANDPROMOTE ENERGY CONSERVATION AS WELL ASTHE ASSESSMENT OF THE BUILDING STOCK FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLICIES. THE REVIEW SHOWS THAT MANY TOOLS HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF JOINING THEIR CAPABILITIES, WHICH CAN CREATEMANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR INNOVATION IN THE RETROFITTING AREA

EVALUATING THE ENERGY AND THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF EXISTING BUILDINGS DURING THEIR LIFETIME BRINGS ABOUT UNCERTAINTY, SINCE THERE IS STRONG EVIDENCE SUGGESTING THAT CLIMATE CHANGE (CC) WILL AFFECT INDOOR ENVIRONMENT QUALITY. CC HAS BEEN REFLECTED, AMONG OTHER PHENOMENA, IN A TEMPERATURE RISE THAT IS NECESSARILY RELATED TO THE INDOOR TEMPERATURE OF BUILDINGS. RECOGNIZING POSSIBLE FUTURE CLIMATE SCENARIOS AND THEIR POSSIBLE EFFECTS WILL ALLOW IMPROVING THE RESILIENCE OF EXISTING BUILDINGS. TODAY?S BUILDINGS ARE SOURCES OF HIGH ENERGY DEMAND. IN THE CASE OF CHILE, AN ORDINARY HOUSE, DUE TO ITS POOR THERMAL PERFORMANCE, REQUIRES BETWEEN 40% AND 60% OF ITS ENERGY CONSUMPTION FOR HEATING OR COOLING, DEPENDING ON THE LOCATION.

THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES THE BARRIERS AND OPPORTUNITIES OBSERVED IN THE DESIGN PROCESS OF SOCIAL HOUSING IN SOUTH-CENTRAL CHILE, FROM THE INCORPORATION OF ENERGY-EFFICIENT STANDARDS. THE METHODOLOGY IS BASED ON AN INTEGRATED DESIGN, WHICH JOINS PROFESSIONALS FROM THE FONDEF PROJECT D09I1081 ?DEVELOPMENT AND INTRODUCTION OF PASSIVE BUILDING IN CHILE? AND THE FOUNDATION ?TECHO? TOGETHER. IT DEVELOPED A PURPOSEFUL RESEARCH BASE ON A SOCIAL HOUSING AS A CASE STUDY. DIFFERENT IMPROVEMENTS ARE GENERATED IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE VALUES OF A HIGHLY ENERGY EFFICIENT STANDARD, WHICH IS ABLE TO SAVE UP TO 80% OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION. THE PROCESS OF THE INTEGRATED DESIGN IS REGISTERED TO PERCEIVE THE PROBLEMS OF THE APPLICATION. FINALLY, THOSE LANDMARKS ARE TURN INTO BARRIERS AND OPPORTUNITIES. THE CONCLUSIONS IDENTIFY THE MAIN IMPLICATIONS OF HIGH-ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS INCORPORATION IN CHILEAN SOCIAL HOUSING.

THE REGULATIONS THAT AIM TO REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN BUILDINGS ARE INCREASINGLY STRICT, AND THEIR MEDIUM-TERM GOAL IS TO ACHIEVE BUILDINGS WITH ZERO CONSUMPTION. THE NECESSARY UPDATING OF HERITAGE BUILDINGS FACES SEVERAL LIMITATIONS, SINCE PROTECTION STANDARDS REDUCE POSSIBLE INTERVENTIONS, LEADING TO ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND USER COMFORT. THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS A REPLICABLE METHODOLOGY THAT IDENTIFIES THE MOST USED DEEP-ENVELOPE TYPOLOGIES DURING THE BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN MOVEMENT IN CALI, COLOMBIA. IT CLASSIFIES THEM ACCORDING TO THEIR GEOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS, HIGHLIGHTING THE MOST REPRESENTATIVE ONES. THE ARTICLE?S OBJECTIVE IS TO ANALYSE EXISTING TYPOLOGIES, CREATING A CLASSIFICATION THAT CAN BE USED TO DETERMINE THEIR EFFICIENCY REGARDING INDOOR ENVIRONMENT QUALITY IN HOT EQUATORIAL CLIMATES. A WIDE REVIEW OF DATA WAS USED TO DEFINE A PURPOSIVE NON-PROBABILISTIC SAMPLE, REFINED ACCORDING TO BUILDING USE, HEIGHT, YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION, AND CONSERVATION CONDITION. THESE CRITERIA ALLOWED TO IDENTIFY THE TYPES OF DEEP-ENVELOPE USED IN THE OFFICE BUILDINGS BUILT IN CALI IN THE 1950S: WITH VERTICAL ELEMENTS, WITH HORIZONTAL ELEMENTS, AND WITH A COMBINATION OF VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL ELEMENTS. FINALLY, THE BUILDINGS THAT BEST REPRESENTED THE DEEP-ENVELOPE SYSTEMS IN CALI WERE SELECTED AND USED AS CASE STUDIES TO IDENTIFY REPLICABLE STRATEGIES FOR THE DESIGN OF FACADES.

TO INCREASE THE USE OF SOLAR ENERGY IN CITIES, THIS PAPER PROPOSES AN INTEGRATED MODEL FOR URBAN SOLAR MAPPING COMBINING SOLAR RESOURCE POTENTIAL ASSESSMENT AND ENERGY SYSTEM INTEGRATION MODELS. BRINGING URBAN SOLAR ENERGY TO A SYSTEM LEVEL GIVES A MORE REALISTIC ESTIMATE OF THE USEABLE SOLAR POTENTIAL IN CITIES. THE MODEL IS INTENDED FOR A FIRST ESTIMATE OF THE POTENTIAL AND IT NEEDS A LIMITED AMOUNT OF INPUT DATA, TYPICAL IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. THE FIRST SUB-MODEL COMPRISES A STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH STARTING WITH A GLOBAL TEMPORAL SOLAR RADIATION PATTERN TO WHICH SPATIAL URBAN AND BUILDING TOPOLOGIES ARE LINKED TO ASSESS SOLAR LOSSES. NEXT THE AVAILABLE SOLAR ENERGY POTENTIAL IS ESTIMATED ACCORDING TO TYPE OF HOUSING, SOLAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGY, AND DEMAND PATTERNS. THE SECOND SUB-MODEL ON ENERGY SYSTEMS USES THE OUTPUT FROM THE SOLAR RESOURCE MODEL BY PUTTING THE BUILDING SPECIFIC SOLAR ENERGY DATA INTO THE ENERGY SYSTEM LEVEL, CONSIDERING THE ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS THE ELECTRIC GRID AND FINALLY YIELDING AN ESTIMATE OF THE USEABLE SOLAR POTENTIAL IN A CITY. WE APPLY THE MODEL TO THE CITY OF CONCEPCIÓN IN CHILE AS A TEST CASE TO SHOW THE VERSATILITY OF IT.

THIS CHAPTER REVIEWS CURRENT POLICY INSTRUMENTS THAT ARE RELEVANT IN TERMS OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL COMFORT IN BUILDINGS. BASED ON AN OVERVIEW OF ENERGY INDICATORS WORLDWIDE, IT COMPRISES DETAILED INFORMATION ON TEN LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES: ARGENTINA, BOLIVIA, BRAZIL, CHILE, COLOMBIA, COSTA RICA, ECUADOR, MEXICO, PERU, AND URUGUAY. FOR EACH COUNTRY, THE REVIEW COVERS INFORMATION ON BUILDING ENERGY CODES, ENERGY LABELING, AND ENVIRONMENTAL COMFORT CODES, AMONG OTHER ASPECTS. THE CONCLUSIONS SHOW THAT THERE ARE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COUNTRIES, WHERE MOST OF THEM HAVE DEVELOPED INITIATIVES ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN BUILDINGS THAT WOULD INDIRECTLY IMPROVE COMFORT, BUT VERY FEW HAVE DEVELOPED POLICIES AND STANDARDS SPECIFICALLY ON ENVIRONMENTAL COMFORT.

ENERGY POVERTY (EP) IS A PROBLEM THAT AFFECTS A LARGE PART OF THE WORLD POPULATION, LEAVING THOSE MOST VULNERABLE TO SUFFER FROM UNHEALTHY INDOOR CONDITIONS IN THEIR HOMES, BEING COLD IN WINTER MONTHS, STRUGGLING WITH THEIR MONETARY SITUATION, AND EVEN REDUCING SOCIAL ACTIVITIES WITH RELATIVES. IN THIS CONTEXT, IT IS IMPORTANT TO ASSESS EP SITUATIONS AND IDENTIFY THOSE FACTORS THAT MOST AFFECT EACH ONE. THIS PAPER, THROUGH THE EVALUATION AND ADAPTATION OF THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL AND TERRITORIAL INDICATOR OF ENERGY POVERTY (EPITT IN SPANISH), DEVELOPED BY THE ENERGY POVERTY NETWORK IN CHILE (REDPE CHILE), ASSESSES THE DIFFERENT EP SITUATIONS IN A SOCIAL-HOUSING CASE STUDY LOCATED IN SOUTH-CENTRAL CHILE. THE RESULTS SHOW DIFFERENT EP SITUATIONS DEPENDING ON THE DIMENSIONS STUDIED, E.G., 35% OF HOUSEHOLDS HAD FOOD AND HYGIENE ISSUES, 27% HAD ISSUES WITH LIGHTING AND ELECTRICAL DEVICES, 72% WITH CLIMATE CONTROL IN THE HOME, AND 68% EXPERIENCED EQUALITY IN ENERGY EXPENDITURE ISSUES. IT IS POSSIBLE TO SAY THAT ENERGY EXPENDITURE IS THE DIMENSION THAT MOST INFLUENCES THE EP SITUATION. FURTHERMORE, THE VALUES IN THE DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS ARE BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, MAINLY BECAUSE OF THE POOR QUALITY OF HOUSING, LIMITATIONS IN ACCESS TO ENERGY, AND LOW INCOME. IN CONCLUSION, THE ADAPTATION OF EPTTI PROVIDES A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF EP VULNERABILITY AT THE LOCAL SCALE.

AS PART OF A THERMAL RETROFITTING PROCESS OF EXISTING HOUSING, ENERGY AND THERMAL PERFORMANCE IS NORMALLY PREDICTED BY DYNAMIC SIMULATION THAT SUPPOSES STANDARDIZED PATTERNS OF BUILDING USE, WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE KEY ROLE OF THE USERS IN BUILDINGS ENERGY CONSUMPTION. THIS REPRESENTS A WEAKNESS IN HOW THE EVALUATION AND DESIGN OF RETROFITTING PROJECTS IS STRUCTURED, AS INTEGRALLY DETERMINING FACTORS IN THERMAL AND ENERGY PERFORMANCE ARE NOT CONSIDERED. INTEGRATED EVALUATIONS OF THE HOMES BEING IMPROVED WILL HELP TO CHOOSE EFFECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE GUIDELINES. THIS WORK PROPOSES A MORE OBJECTIVE AND HOLISTIC EVALUATION THAT USES VARIED AND COMPARED TECHNIQUES, INVOLVING THE USER IN POST-OCCUPANCY EVALUATION SO THAT THEY PROVIDE FEEDBACK FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS DESIGN. THE INTEGRATED DIAGNOSIS COMPRISES NUMERICAL CALCULATIONS, ONSITE MEASUREMENTS, ENERGY SIMULATIONS AND AN ESTIMATION OF THE USERS PERCEPTION, WITH THE GOAL OF SHOWING THE DIFFERENT RESULTS OBTAINED THROUGH THE DIFFERENT METHODS. THE STUDY SHOWS GREAT DIFFERENCES IN WHAT USERS PERCEIVE AND EXPECT WITH THE SUGGESTIONS FOR THERMAL IMPROVEMENT OBTAINED FROM THE SIMULATION. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT, TO ATTAIN A HIGHER USER SATISFACTION AND A BETTER ENERGY PERFORMANCE OF THE BUILDING, THERMAL IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES MUST BE DEFINED NOT SOLELY BASED ON STANDARDS OR PREVIOUS CASES BUT MUST CONSIDER THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE INHABITANTS AND INCLUDING EXPERIMENTALLY MEASURED VALUES OF CERTAIN PHYSICAL-CONSTRUCTION PROPERTIES TO CALIBRATE THE DYNAMIC SIMULATIONS.

PERSONAL COMFORT SYSTEMS (PCSS) HAVE EMERGED AS AN INNOVATIVE SOLUTION TO ADDRESS VARIABLE INDIVIDUAL CONDITIONS THAT TRADITIONAL COMFORT MODELS EXCLUDED. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATES THE IMPACT OF THE SIMULTANEOUS APPLICATION AND USE OF THREE PCSS IN REAL OFFICE ENVIRONMENTS ON AN OCCUPANT'S THERMAL, LIGHT, AND AIR QUALITY PERCEPTION AND SEEKS TO UNDERSTAND DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULI BEHIND PERSONAL ACTIONS AND BEHAVIORS. IT USES QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE MONITORING OF SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS OF 72 PARTICIPANTS IN FOUR OFFICE BUILDINGS IN DIFFERENT CLIMATIC ZONES OF CHILE IN SUMMER AND WINTER. THE PCSS TESTED DIFFER IN THEIR COSTS, TECHNOLOGICAL LEVEL, USABILITY, AND PORTABILITY. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT 85.5% IMPROVED THEIR PERCEIVED COMFORT BY USING THE PCSS, ALTHOUGH NOT FROM SIMULTANEOUS USE, BUT RATHER FROM THE USE OF ONE SYSTEM OVER ANOTHER. THE DESK FAN STANDS OUT AS HAVING THE HIGHEST ACCEPTANCE AND UTILIZATION RATE. HOWEVER, CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS CAUSE OPPOSITE ACTIONS: LIMITED LIGHTING CONTROL OR LITTLE DAYLIGHT CAUSES THE FAN TO BE TURNED ON. THE PRESENT STUDY'S DATA COULD CONTRIBUTE TO A NEW ENVIRONMENTAL COMFORT MODEL FOR SHARED OFFICE SPACES, FOSTERING SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN OCCUPANT SATISFACTION AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY. THIS PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IS OF INTEREST TO ARCHITECTS, DESIGNERS, AND STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTION FIELD.

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.

IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE INCREASING ENERGY CONSUMPTION FOR THE DOMESTIC DEMANDS OF EXISTING SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSING AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREQUENT BUILDING ENLARGEMENTS, THIS PAPER PRESENTS A METHODOLOGY AND SUPPORTING SOFTWARE TOOL FOR DETERMINING THE OPTIMAL DESIGN CONFIGURATION OF AN ATTIC WITH INTEGRATED SOLAR COLLECTORS. THE ANALYSIS PROCEDURE IS BASED ON PARAMETRIC MODELING, ENERGY SIMULATION AND THE USE OF EVOLUTIONARY ALGORITHMS FOR FINDING OPTIMAL DESIGNS. IT HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED AS A WEB-PLATFORM FOR PUBLIC USE THAT PROVIDES USERS WITH A PROPOSAL OF AN ATTIC SHAPE WITH MAXIMUM SOLAR ENERGY COLLECTION, MAXIMUM LIVING SPACE AND MINIMUM CONSTRUCTION ENVELOPE FOR EACH HOUSE ACCORDING ITS SIZE AND ORIENTATION. THE ATTIC INTEGRATES PV, THERMAL AND HYBRID SOLAR PANELS ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROOF. THIS PAPER DESCRIBES THE METHODOLOGY AND SOFTWARE DESIGN, ASSESSMENT OF THE WEB-PLATFORM USAGE AND CASE-STUDIES TO VERIFY ITS BEHAVIOR. IN A MATTER OF MINUTES, THE WEB-PLATFORM ENABLES USERS TO SELECT A SPECIFIC ATTIC DESIGN FOR EACH HOUSE THAT HAS INTEGRATED SOLAR COLLECTORS THAT CAN PRODUCE ENERGY TO COVER ALMOST 100% OF DOMESTIC ENERGY CONSUMPTION. THE ATTICS DESIGNED PROVIDE A NEARLY 30% INCREASE IN LIVING SPACE THROUGH THE EXTENSION OF ONE TO FOUR ROOMS, AND THE CONSTRUCTION COST OF THE ENVELOPE IS SIMILAR TO THAT OF A STANDARD HOUSING EXTENSION.

PREFACE

OFFICE-BASED ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL SYSTEMS ARE CENTRALIZED AND DESIGNED TO CONTROL ENTIRE SPACES, IGNORING USE DYNAMICS AND REQUIREMENTS, AND DESPITE BEING REGULATED BY STANDARDIZED COMFORT MODELS, THEY FAIL TO SATISFY REAL OCCUPANTS, MAINLY DUE TO THEIR VARIED INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS. THIS RESEARCH IS FIELD-BASED WITH A QUANTITATIVE APPROACH AND CORRELATIONAL DESIGN. ITS OBJECTIVE IS TO EMPIRICALLY DEMONSTRATE THAT OPEN-PLAN DESIGN, WHERE DIFFERENT USERS SHARE THE SAME SPACE AND GENERALIZED ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS, LACKS A HOLISTIC VIEW OF IEQ CRITERIA AND THE INTEGRATION OF OTHER FACTORS THAT AFFECT HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. FOUR BUILDINGS ARE CHOSEN IN DIFFERENT CHILEAN CITIES, MEASURING TEMPERATURES AND CO2 LEVELS AT DIFFERENT DESKS, AND APPLYING A SURVEY, WHICH WAS DESIGNED AS PART OF THE RESEARCH TO ANALYZE THE ESTIMATION OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN VARIABLES AND TO REVEAL THE FACTORS THAT CAUSE DIFFERENCES AMONG OCCUPANTS. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT PEOPLE?S SATISFACTION IS MULTIVARIABLE AND DEPENDS ON OTHER FACTORS THAT POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY STIMULATE THEIR SENSATIONS AND PERCEPTIONS, SUCH AS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE OPTION TO PERSONALLY CONTROL THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. LIKEWISE, IT IS EVIDENT THAT TO ACHIEVE COMFORT, HEALTH IS BEING AFFECTED WHILE IN THE BUILDING.

BUILDINGS ARE DESIGNED TO RESPOND TO FUNCTIONAL AND REGULATORY NEEDS, PROVIDING COMFORTABLE CONDITIONS TO OCCUPANTS, OFFERING SATISFACTORY ENVIRONMENTAL SETTINGS, MINIMISING HEALTH RISKS, AND ENHANCING INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE QUALITY OF LIFE. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SYNERGIES BETWEEN THESE GOALS, NO COMPREHENSIVE FRAMEWORK HAS YET BEEN FORMULATED TO CHARACTERIZE HUMAN COMFORT, SATISFACTION, HEALTH, AND WELL-BEING IN BUILDINGS AS DISTINCT, YET HIGHLY INTERRELATED, CONSTRUCTS. FOUNDED ON A CRITICAL CONSOLIDATION OF INTERDISCIPLINARY LITERATURE, AND OF THE KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR THE MOST COMMON FACTORS OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FEATURED IN STANDARDS AND CODES, THIS PAPER PROPOSES A NEW CONCEPTUAL MODEL THAT CAN SUSTAIN THE WHOLE OF HUMAN EXPERIENCES IN BUILDINGS, ADDRESSING THE VARIETY OF THEIR USES AND OCCUPANCY. EMBRACING THE NOTION THAT ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULI MAY SYNERGISTICALLY OR ANTAGONISTICALLY COMBINE, AT VARIOUS SPATIO-TEMPORAL RESOLUTIONS, TO INFLUENCE BUILDING- AND OCCUPANT -RELATED OUTCOMES, THE PROPOSED MODEL, NEXT, SUGGESTS THAT THERE COULD BE SIGNIFICANT DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN THE DESIGN AND OPERATION STRATEGIES AIMED AT ENERGY EFFICIENCY, THE CONDITIONS DEMANDED FOR COMFORTABLE TASK PERFORMANCE, WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO SATISFACTION WITH THE INDOOR ENVIRONMENT, AND WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR BUILDING USERS TO BE HEALTHY AND FEEL WELL OVER TIME. THERE IS A NEED TO FUNDAMENTALLY CHALLENGE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE CRITERIA THAT ARE USED FOR DESIGNING, MEASURING, AND BENCHMARKING THE PERFORMANCE OF BUILDINGS, ENCOMPASSING THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE OCCUPANT. THIS IMPLIES GOING BEYOND DESIGNING BUILDINGS TO ENSURE NEUTRAL ACCEPTANCE OF CONDITIONS AND PREVENTION OF HARMFUL EXPOSURES WHILE, INSTEAD, DRIVING FROM INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES TO INTEGRATE THE DIMENSIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE IN BUILDING RESEARCH, POLICIES, AND PRACTICE.