Daylight access in healthcare facilities is essential for creating comfortable ambiance conditions for the patients during their accommodation in a hospital. This research includes a holistic investigation of the parameters that affect the visual and non-visual effects on patients' comfort. The research focuses on hospitals' typical patient rooms (single, double and quadruple rooms), building parameters such as orientation, various window sizes, glazing properties, and shading devices. Moreover, other parameters are the location (five European cities), timing (season and hour in a day), the patient placement inside the room, and the patient gaze direction. The investigation is based on field measurements in hospital rooms, validation of simulation software, computer simulations, and questionnaire surveys. Computational simulations are used for daylight assessment for visual effects using climate-based daylight metrics, including the Useful Daylight Illuminance, Spatial Daylight Autonomy, Annual Sunlight Exposure and the CIE S026 melanopic metrics for non-visual effects.
The awareness about climate change and the urgent need to decrease carbon emissions in buildings, in combination with concerns about occupants’ comfort due to the rise of temperature, are continuously increasing. Harmful health impacts resulting from climate change are related to increasing heat stress, extreme weather conditions, and poor air quality. It has become evident that Southern Europe will experience more adverse effects of climate change compared to other European regions. The study aims to investigate the vulnerability of educational buildings in Cyprus, in view of current and future climatic conditions by means of field measurements, questionnaires and dynamic simulation software and, to present a methodology for the assessment of thermal comfort, overheating risks, air quality, visual comfort and their implication in energy performance. Ultimately, this study develops and proposes a methodology to support decision-making processes for the sustainable adaptation of existing educational buildings, through holistic-approach interventions, accompanied by techno-economic analysis.
The research focuses on a renovation proposal for the plethora of office buildings with low energy behaviour through the application of shading systems on their envelope. The study includes qualitative and quantitative assessment of the systems in different environmental conditions. The aim is to improve the lighting levels and uniformity of light inside the office rooms and consequently the energy efficiency and aesthetics of the buildings. The research innovates in the fact that these systems proposed are changeable, lightweight, and adaptable to a variety of aspects due to the geometry and materials proposed.
This thesis aims to address the challenge of promoting the transition from traditional linear design process, to an integrated multifunctional architecture, via the development of a novel environmentally-friendly building system composed of customizable modular bricks based on an integrated design approach. A comprehensive design process is proposed and followed for the development of a novel masonry system. The implemented methodology covers various aspect regarding the overall efficiency of masonry systems, such as, thermal, environmental and structural performance. Comparative quantitative and qualitative criteria will be established in order to assess the aforementioned performance aspects. Experimental investigation, analytical models and numerical simulations will be carried out to determine the adopted performance criteria. Comparative index scales will be established for rating criteria that cannot be easily quantified and/or for which data are not available. The outcomes of this study are expected to provide proof of concept concerning the development of a novel multifunctional masonry system, based on an integrated design approach.
So as to meet the illumination requirements in buildings, where insufficient amount of daylight is afforded by common daylight systems, the opening of the building envelope needs to be 'reinforced' with supplementary man-made means. The resulting combinations of elements are well-known as innovative daylighting systems. Within the range of daylighting technologies, fixed or movable reflective light-redirecting systems were developed, in an attempt to address the shortcomings of existing conventional solutions and stop direct sunlight falling on to the buildings’ occupants and to redirect daylight - under lit zones, to improve visual comfort by achieving daylight uniformity of a space and at the same time controlling glare effect. Therefore, the important aspect of this research is the reconsideration of the outer skin of office buildings, in terms of the incorporation of innovative daylighting façade systems that directly affect visual comfort for the tasks carried out by the building’s occupants.
Thermal comfort and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) significantly affect the health, well-being and productivity of the building occupants. This constitutes the quality of the indoor environment in educational buildings highly important. This research investigates the impact of natural ventilation as a cooling strategy on the thermal comfort and IAQ of mixed-mode educational facilities, specifically university campuses, in the Mediterranean climate. Mixed-mode refers to buildings that can run in both natural and mechanical cooling mode. Moreover, the research assesses the applicability of the Adaptive Approach for the calculation of thermal comfort conditions in such buildings. The analysis is achieved through field measurements, on-side observations, questionnaires and computational simulation. Incorporating natural ventilation strategies along with applying the adaptive approach for the determination of setpoints can significantly affect the indoor environmental quality and the building’s energy consumption.