Exploring the influence of social factors on indoor environment quality

Abstract

This paper assesses the effect that the social structure of an office may have on an individual's behaviour with regards to their thermal comfort and indoor environment quality (IEQ). Combining the methodologies of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and social sciences with indoor air research, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 23 people from 12 naturally ventilated offices. Discussions focused on social order of their office, the way IEQ was managed in their building and to what extent poor IEQ impacted their work. The findings from this paper suggest that social norms, human interactions and a degree of separation between occupant and building control can complicate otherwise rational actions towards improving IEQ or personal thermal comfort. Some implications for indoor air research are provided, including the importance of considering these social factors and the potential for further collaborations with HCI and the social sciences.

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Identifiers

ORCID for m.c. schraefel: orcid.org/0000-0002-9061-7957

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