Occupant action patterns regarding spatial and human factors in office environments

Mar�n-Restrepo, Laura; Trebilcock, Maureen; Gillott, Mark

Abstract

Since occupant behaviour impacts the energy performance of buildings, its study is relevant in order to bridge the performance gap. While the factors influencing occupant behaviour have been established, most studies have focused on those factors that motivate the action, such as environmental and temporal conditions. Contextual factors including spatial and occupant characteristics, which act as action moderators, remain a subject to explore. In this way, this article aims to identify patterns in the occupants’ actions in office environments, based on spatial and human factors. A field study, including 514 occupants in 85 office spaces, was carried out in 11 buildings in Concepción, Chile. The results indicate that spatial layout is significantly related to the operation of windows, blinds, and thermostats, but not personal devices. Gender did not influence whether an occupant was active or not and age range was only significant regarding blinds. In shared spaces, there were fewer active occupants and whose acts depend on the perception of opportunity that they have, which is associated with element control distance and occupant age. The findings suggest that the probability that actions occur varies based on spatial and human factors, particularly because these factors affect occupant perception of opportunity.

Citation

Marín-Restrepo, L., Trebilcock, M., & Gillott, M. (2020). Occupant action patterns regarding spatial and human factors in office environments. Energy and Buildings, 214, Article 109889. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2020.109889

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 17, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Feb 20, 2020
• Publication Date: 2020-05
• Deposit Date: Feb 22, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 23, 2021
• Journal: Energy and Buildings
• Print ISSN: 0378-7788
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 214
• Article Number: 109889
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2020.109889
• Keywords: Mechanical Engineering; Electrical and Electronic Engineering; Civil and Structural Engineering; Building and Construction
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4084072
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378778819307170?via%3Dihub
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Occupant action patterns regarding spatial and human factors in office environments; Journal Title: Energy and Buildings; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2020.109889; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.