Occupant-centered indoor environmental quality management: Physiological response measuring methods

Indoor environment quality is a relative measure of comfort perception by people exposed to the indoor conditions. It is expected that any assessment of energy performance should also include indoor comfort. This study is to review indoor environmental quality models (with respect to thermal and acoustic comfort, indoor air and lighting quality). A simplified indoor environmental quality model is also developed with consideration of EN 15251 draft ‘Guideline for using indoor environmental input parameters for the design and assessment of energy performance of buildings’. This article analyses what components should be modelled and in particular discusses the effect of different weighting schemes on the overall indoor environmental quality index. The analysis includes thermal comfort models, indoor air quality, acoustic comfort and daylight illumination versus lightning. The proposed indoor environmental quality component sub-models will give the most reliable results when the model indoor environment input data are correctly measured and disturbing influences of indoor environmental quality monitoring process are well defined and properly assessed. The final indoor environmental quality result is based on subjoining the uncertainty values achieved in panel analysis of percentage of persons dissatisfied with indoor environmental quality with corrected measurement uncertainty. All simulations for IEQindex sub-components and preliminary metrological analysis of the whole indoor environmental quality model were performed with the NIST program for Monte Carlo tests. The presented indoor environmental quality model proposal is developed to support engineers’ practice as the convenient tool for a practical assessment of building’s occupational satisfaction.

Understanding how energy retrofits affect indoor environments is essential for ensuring occupant health and revealing underlying mechanisms. This intervention study examined whether energy retrofits influence the in vitro toxicity and inflammatory potential of indoor dust, and whether these outcomes, reflecting overall exposure rather than individual pollutants, could explain observed improvements in self-reported health post retrofits. Additionally, associations with measured indoor environmental quality (IEQ) indicators were explored to identify factors driving indoor toxicity. Settled dust was collected before and after energy retrofits from 75 apartments in Finland and Lithuania. Toxicity was assessed via effects on cell metabolic activity and viability, and inflammatory potential was measured through interleukin (IL)6 and IL8 production in co-cultures of lung epithelial (A549) and monocyte (THP1) cells. Their associations with retrofit status, IEQ variables and self-reported health outcomes were analysed using pairwise pre-post testing and generalised linear mixed modelling (GLMM). Results suggest a context-dependent effect of energy retrofits on dust toxicity, indicating that impacts may be shaped by factors such as climate, building type, and the extent or type of retrofit measures. The inflammatory potential correlated strongly with dust microbial load and diversity in house dust, regardless of retrofit status. Dust toxicity and inflammatory potential were associated with self-reported health outcomes but did not explain the observed reduction in infection-related absence from work or school after the retrofits. Finally, the observed associations with IEQ were country-specific and findings emphasise that indoor dust toxicity is influenced by numerous factors, many of them unrelated to the building itself.

Physiological response of building occupants based on their activity and the indoor environmental quality condition changes

Today, building design focuses on optimizing indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and ensuring the comfort and well-being of occupants. In this context, a continuous monitoring infrastructure can provide the necessary data to ensure that the environment adapts proactively and in real-time to the occupants’ needs. This approach, applied in a research context, requires the simultaneous monitoring of three levels of measurement: objective-environmental parameters, using lab-grade instruments in the environment and wearable devices; subjective-psychological parameters, obtained through questionnaires and cognitive tasks; and physiological parameters, gathered via wearable devices. This paper presents a 3-layer monitoring infrastructure and its first demonstration use case, conducted in Politecnico di Torino for two weeks in March 2025. The aim is to investigate whether wearable sensors can provide objective insights into a deeper understanding of the relationship between IEQ and occupants’ comfort and well-being. Some preliminary findings are discussed, along with a review of the state of the art in wearable technologies across the four environmental domains, and the rationale behind the selection of specific devices.

Indoor environment quality (IEQ) can negatively affect occupant health and wellbeing. Air quality, as well as thermal, visual and auditory conditions, can determine how comfortable occupants feel within buildings. Some can be measured objectively, but many are assessed by interpreting qualitative responses. Continuous monitoring by passive sensors may be useful to identify links between environmental and physiological changes. Few studies localise measurements to an occupant level perhaps due to many environmental monitoring solutions being large and expensive. Traditional models for occupant comfort analysis often exacerbate this by not differentiating between individual building occupants. This scoping review aims to understand IEQ and explore approaches as to how it is measured with various sensing technologies, identifying trends for monitoring occupant health and wellbeing. Twenty-seven studies were reviewed, and more than 60 state-of-the-art and low-cost IEQ sensors identified. Studies were found to focus on the home or workplace, but not both. This review also found how wearable technology could be used to augment IEQ measurements, creating personalised approaches to health and wellbeing. Opportunities exist to make individuals the primary unit of analysis. Future research should explore holistic personalised approaches to health monitoring in buildings that analyse the individual as they move between environments.

Indoor Environmental Quality is an important issue in educational buildings since it is directly related to students’ well-being and learning activities. Indoor Environmental Quality parameters have been assessed in three representative campus building typologies (old, new, and retrofitted), in Tehran, Iran, by measurements and questionnaire (n = 842) from July 2016 to April 2017. Results have been compared to the students’ overall satisfaction level and recommended standards. According to results, minimum attention to local standards with regard to Indoor Air Quality, acoustic, and lighting, especially in the old and retrofitted buildings, seems the main reason of low environmental quality in the studied cases. Fitting a multiple regression model to the questionnaire data, a mathematical model is developed to predict the overall comfort (Indoor Environmental Quality index). Studied buildings have been ranked based on the Indoor Environmental Quality index from high quality: I (building C) to out of the comfort range: IV (building A). Moreover, results reveal that the acceptable range of each Indoor Environmental Quality parameters, especially with regard to thermal and acoustic comfort, is broader in real condition in comparison with the standards. Finally, the buildings’ annual energy consumption is used to propose a Retrofit Potential Index in order to assess the impact of comfort parameters on energy consumption by integrated analyses.

The purpose of this study was to determine the influences of environmental parameters on common health symptoms in office buildings. A grey preference analysis based on a new indoor environment quality (IEQ) index and a controlled field survey of 91 office occupants were conducted in an office building in Guangzhou, China. The new IEQ index based on Weber/Fechner’s law and predicted mean vote (PMV) was developed and validated by our survey. In the survey, the six environmental parameters (air temperature, illumination intensity, noise level, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde and PM10) were measured. The subjects’ satisfaction levels and the nine health symptoms (eye dryness, lethargy, dry throat, headache, nausea, skin dryness, blocked nose, influenza-like symptom and chest tightness) were determined using questionnaires. The results show that the proposed IEQ index can preferentially predict the subjective sensations of occupants. PM10 was identified as the most significant environmental parameter, followed by formaldehyde, air temperature, carbon dioxide, noise level and illumination intensity. Eye dryness and lethargy were the most significant symptoms, followed by dry throat, headache, nausea, skin dryness and chest tightness. Blocked nose and influenza-like symptom were hardly reported by subjects. The findings of this study could provide a practical guidance for IEQ management to reduce unhealthy diseases for occupants.

This study examines the effects of both sustainable and traditional building systems on the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and occupant perceptions in an open-plan office floor of a high-rise building located in Chicago, IL. The office evaluated has sustainable daylighting features as well as a more traditional variable air volume mechanical system. Different measurement locations and techniques are investigated to quantify the indoor environmental conditions (i.e., acoustics, lighting, and thermal conditions) experienced by the building occupants. The occupant perceptions of the indoor environmental conditions are assessed via survey questionnaires administered to the building occupants. The relationships between the IEQ measured in the office and the occupant perceptions are assessed.

To improve employees’ comfort, health and productivity, indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is one of the most significant aspects of concern in the workplace. In future office buildings, IEQ is not only to meet the basic requirement of hygiene and physiological needs but also to motivate and lift occupants’ satisfaction. This chapter will introduce the attractive quality theory as well as the Kano model and its application in the field of indoor environment science on occupant satisfaction with IEQ and the research methods at workplaces. The chapter will also discuss the limitation of the theory and future research needs to utilise and verify the Kano model.

Bio-inspired cooling technologies and the applications in buildings

In Malaysia, the demand for green building kept rising from year to year. The design concept of the green building which provides better indoor environment to make occupant more comfortable and healthier. The Green Building Index (GBI) as a rating system in Malaysia was used to evaluate the environmental design and performance of a building by the occupant, due to that, it is used for this research to investigate the relationship between the indicator of the Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ) and occupant satisfaction’s element in a private university in Sarawak. The building occupants are the most important feedback to determine the occupant’s satisfaction level for IEQ within the campus. A quantitative method was applied to reach the objectives by using simple random sampling. A total of 254 copies of the questionnaire survey form were distributed to respondents at School of Business and Management (SBM) and School of Built Environment (SBE) in the university. However, there are only 238 responds are usable for this research. The result shows that the temperature (57.0%) and the indoor air quality (66.7) in IEQ’s indicator had moderate positive and significant relationship with thermal comfort, and ventilation respectively.

Occupancy information is important to building facility managers in terms of building energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, comfort conditions, and safety management of buildings. When combing the distribution characteristics of the literature, it is found that the field of estimating occupancy counts is a very active area. Researchers from various countries have undertaken extensive explorations to obtain more research results. In this survey, the commonly used occupancy measurement systems and algorithms are described. Through the analysis and research of different occupancy measurement systems and algorithms, their advantages, disadvantages, and limitations are summarized, so that researchers can use them selectively. As for how to choose the method of estimating occupancy counts, suggestions are given in terms of the range of people, accuracy, cost, and privacy. There are still many pressing issues relating to high-density crowd occupancy counting, complex environmental impact, and system robustness. According to the current research progress and technology development trend, the possible future research directions are pointed out. The innovation of this review is the quantitative analysis of the selection of occupancy measurement systems for different ranges of people, and the occupancy counting accuracy situation of different measurement systems and algorithms. It provides more informed opinions on the selection of practical applications. It can be used by other researchers as a starting point for their research and/or project work.

This study aims to explore and enhance sustainable design practices for improving indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in residential buildings in Jordan, particularly within government institutions. It focuses on integrating design capabilities, core technologies, and human-centered values to develop a context-specific framework for green IEQ management. A mixed-method approach is employed, combining qualitative and quantitative methods. The study includes a comprehensive literature review, expert interviews, and focus group discussions, followed by a structured survey with 100 residential building occupants. Three key pillars—core technologies and competences, business models, and human values—are identified and analyzed to guide the development of an innovative IEQ framework. The proposed framework is validated by domain experts to ensure alignment with Jordan’s socio-economic and environmental conditions. The findings reveal that integrating technological innovation, adaptable business models, and occupant well-being significantly enhances the implementation of sustainable IEQ strategies. This research offers a novel design-led framework tailored to the Jordanian context, addressing the underexplored intersection between human-centered design and sustainable IEQ practices. Unlike traditional approaches focused primarily on energy efficiency, this study incorporates social and institutional dimensions to enable more holistic and implementable solutions.

Introduction Fetal monitoring is a crucial component of antenatal care, facilitating early detection of fetal compromise and improving pregnancy outcomes. Traditional monitoring methods such as cardiotocography (CTG) and ultrasound are effective but primarily limited to clinical settings, requiring specialized expertise and resources. The rise of wearable medical devices and artificial intelligence (AI) applications presents an opportunity to enhance fetal monitoring by enabling continuous, real-time data collection outside clinical environments. These technologies have the potential to improve fetal health and obstetric outcomes, particularly in resource-limited settings. This systematic review aims to evaluate the use of wearable devices for antenatal fetal monitoring and their impact on fetal and obstetric outcomes. Methods and Analysis This systematic review will adhere to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the Synthesis Without Meta-analysis (SWiM) framework. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science will be conducted to identify primary research studies investigating wearable devices designed for fetal monitoring during pregnancy. Studies will be included if they assess the effectiveness, accuracy, and clinical impact of wearable fetal monitoring devices. Primary outcomes will include markers of fetal well-being as well as neonatal and obstetric outcomes. Secondary outcomes will focus on patient experience and acceptability. Data extraction and quality assessment will be conducted independently by two reviewers using the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Quality Assessment Tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. A narrative synthesis will be performed to summarise the findings. Ethics and Dissemination Ethical approval is not required since the study involves analysing published literature. The findings will be shared through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. This review will enhance the evidence base regarding the clinical utility of wearable fetal monitoring technologies and inform future research and device development. PROSPERO Registration: CRD4202348755 (current version 4.1)

The window view quality related to the window view motif was recently introduced in buildings' certification methods such as LEED, BREAM, WELL and in technical standard EN 17037 as well. The experimental study of psychological and physiological response of observers to window view was performed in thermostatic chamber at class I of indoor environment quality conditions. The aim of the study was to: i) review models for numerical characterization of window view motifs; ii) collect observers' votes of window view quality, using 5-point Likert scale, with experiment simulating different window view motifs; iii) propose a new model for predicting window view quality vote, based on characterization of a window view motif, with additional consideration of sunny or cloudy conditions; iv) measure the brain waves power during window view observation in resting state, using wearable electroencephalography device, to find out to what extend observers' votes correlates with their physiological response. The results show that window view votes increase in case of dominance of natural elements, however the window view votes of built environment significantly increase in case of sunny conditions as well. No significant difference in window view votes was found regarding to the gender or age of observers. It was found that ranking, used in reviewed methods, significantly differ in correlation to our experimental results, with Spearman's correlation index from -0.35 (EN 17037) to 0.85 (View-out Quality Index method). The best fit model was upgraded with additional parameter, indicating sunny or cloudy conditions, defined as Window View Index. The power of alpha waves, the frontal alpha asymmetry and the alpha to beta ratio were used as physiological response indicators, because they are related to the observes' resting state. It was found out that physiological response is significantly less pronounced as observers' votes. Among analyzed biomarkers frontal alpha asymmetry shows the highest positive response, regardless of gender, to window views with dominated natural elements and also to sunny conditions. Based on these results we recommend frontal alpha asymmetry as most suitable biomarker in research of window view impact on well-being of occupants.