A detailed investigation of the impact of an innovative dynamic façade system on indoor environmental quality in offices

In recent years, naturally ventilated glass façades have become a common feature in the design and retrofit of large-scale non-residential buildings, integrating architectural aesthetics and energy efficiency. These façade systems are complex and multifaceted. Thus, introducing them in buildings poses many challenges from economic, engineering, health and behavioural perspectives that can reduce optimal building performance. Building occupant behaviour and preferences are important contributors to the gap between the predicted and actual building energy performance. With people spending on average 90% of their lives indoors, the impact of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) on health, comfort, wellbeing and productivity of building occupants is vital. The use of engineering simulation, validated with data collected from operating buildings, can enable engineers, architects and facility managers to ensure optimal building design, efficient operation and improved IEQ.
This paper presents the results of a detailed investigation of the impact of an innovative adaptive façade system on IEQ in an office case study. This includes the impact of façade operation on the health, comfort and wellbeing of building occupants. The study focuses on the measurement campaign carried out in an operating office environment in the Atlas building at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). This measurement campaign included physical measurements of thermal comfort and indoor air quality parameters and occupant surveys. The surveys aimed to capture the occupants’ perception of the indoor environment and the effects of the dynamic façade operation on their comfort and wellbeing. The paper presents the research objectives, measurement protocol and results of the physical measurements and occupant surveys. In general, there was a good alignment between the surveyed and measured data. Furthermore, a high-resolution measurement network allowed for identification of locations where occupants’ comfort may be compromised, such as beside the window where higher air temperatures occurred.