Health, Well-Being and Productivity and Indoor Environmental Quality

Many studies evaluating the relationship between indoor environment and well-being and productivity focus on the influence of one independent parameter (e.g. temperature, outdoor air flow rate, illuminance, etc.). However, occupants experience all the environmental conditions at the same time. The indoor environment presents an immersive exposure and the occupant’s response is holistically manifested through physiological, psychological and sociological indications.

This project studies the combined effects of various indoor environmental conditions. The inclusive research design comprises structured studies of young, healthy adults as well as for older and less healthy working population for short and long exposure studies. The test bed chambers use three main metrics to assess people: self-reported assessment, objectively measured cognitive performances and, where suitable, objectively measured biomarkers.

Surveys provide insight on the individual’s perception, satisfaction and well-being while cognitive tests maps onto pertinent skillsets in the knowledge economy. The team of this project comprises of engineers, architect, psychologist who have collective expertise in empirical, simulation, computational and clinical approaches.