This study aims to explore an emerging collection of smart building technologies, known as smart workplace solutions (SWS), in the context of facilities management (FM).
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on semi-structured interviews with facility managers in Finland, Norway and Sweden who have deployed SWSs in their organizations. SWS features, based on empirical data from a previous study, were also used to further analyse the interviews.
Findings
It analyses the benefits that SWSs bring from the facility management point of view. It is clear that the impetus for change and for deploying SWS in the context of FM is primarily driven by cost savings related to reductions in office space.
Research limitations/implications
This research has been conducted with a focus on office buildings only. However, other building types can learn from the benefits that facility managers receive in the area of user-centred smart buildings.
Practical implications
SWSs are often seen as employee experience solutions that are only related to “soft” elements such as collaboration, innovation and learning. Understanding the FM business case can help make a more practical case for their deployment.
Originality/value
SWSs are an emerging area, and this study has collected data from facility managers who use them daily.
{"title":"How can facilities management benefit from offices becoming more user-centred?","authors":"Kiia Aurora Einola, Laura Remes, Kenneth Dooley","doi":"10.1108/f-01-2023-0003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/f-01-2023-0003","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Purpose</h3>\u0000<p>This study aims to explore an emerging collection of smart building technologies, known as smart workplace solutions (SWS), in the context of facilities management (FM).</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3>\u0000<p>This study is based on semi-structured interviews with facility managers in Finland, Norway and Sweden who have deployed SWSs in their organizations. SWS features, based on empirical data from a previous study, were also used to further analyse the interviews.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Findings</h3>\u0000<p>It analyses the benefits that SWSs bring from the facility management point of view. It is clear that the impetus for change and for deploying SWS in the context of FM is primarily driven by cost savings related to reductions in office space.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Research limitations/implications</h3>\u0000<p>This research has been conducted with a focus on office buildings only. However, other building types can learn from the benefits that facility managers receive in the area of user-centred smart buildings.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Practical implications</h3>\u0000<p>SWSs are often seen as employee experience solutions that are only related to “soft” elements such as collaboration, innovation and learning. Understanding the FM business case can help make a more practical case for their deployment.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Originality/value</h3>\u0000<p>SWSs are an emerging area, and this study has collected data from facility managers who use them daily.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->","PeriodicalId":47595,"journal":{"name":"Facilities","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139052848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Peter Lindeberg, Minna Saunila, Pia Lappalainen, Juhani Ukko, Hannu Rantanen
Purpose
Work environments are undergoing a transition and COVID-19 accelerated this change. Prior studies have associated various physical, digital and social work environment elements with occupational well-being. However, holistic approaches to the social work environment to compare the effects of the different elements have received less attention. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship of various social work environment elements with hybrid worker well-being. The findings help organizations design their work environments and cultures for the post-COVID era.
Design/methodology/approach
The study builds on a quantitative survey with 1,057 respondents. The respondents were randomly selected, the answers were anonymous and the results were based on regression analysis.
Findings
The analysis indicated that working methods and practices, leadership and management practices, organizational communality and social interaction associate with hybrid worker well-being. Organizational values, reward systems and organizational structures yield no association with hybrid worker well-being.
Originality/value
The value of this paper is in that it investigates elements of the social work environment, presents a research model that examines the relationship of social work environment elements with hybrid worker well-being and provides new empirical data on their implications in a comparative manner.
{"title":"The relationship between various social work environment elements and hybrid worker well-being","authors":"Peter Lindeberg, Minna Saunila, Pia Lappalainen, Juhani Ukko, Hannu Rantanen","doi":"10.1108/f-03-2023-0019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/f-03-2023-0019","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Purpose</h3>\u0000<p>Work environments are undergoing a transition and COVID-19 accelerated this change. Prior studies have associated various physical, digital and social work environment elements with occupational well-being. However, holistic approaches to the social work environment to compare the effects of the different elements have received less attention. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship of various social work environment elements with hybrid worker well-being. The findings help organizations design their work environments and cultures for the post-COVID era.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3>\u0000<p>The study builds on a quantitative survey with 1,057 respondents. The respondents were randomly selected, the answers were anonymous and the results were based on regression analysis.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Findings</h3>\u0000<p>The analysis indicated that working methods and practices, leadership and management practices, organizational communality and social interaction associate with hybrid worker well-being. Organizational values, reward systems and organizational structures yield no association with hybrid worker well-being.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Originality/value</h3>\u0000<p>The value of this paper is in that it investigates elements of the social work environment, presents a research model that examines the relationship of social work environment elements with hybrid worker well-being and provides new empirical data on their implications in a comparative manner.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->","PeriodicalId":47595,"journal":{"name":"Facilities","volume":"69 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-12-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139052791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abhishek Raj, Vinaytosh Mishra, Ajinkya N. Tanksale, Cherian Samuel
Purpose The purpose of this study is to solve the problem of healthcare waste management in developing countries. The buildup of medical waste has attracted the attention of all spheres of society due to the expanding population and developing economy. Timely collection and processing of medical waste are extremely important due to its potential hazards. Although the problem of planning medical waste management has been addressed in developed countries, it persists in several developing countries. This research is motivated by an example of a city in India characterized by a dense population, abundant health-care facilities and a lack of planning for managing large medical waste generated daily. Design/methodology/approach The authors address the problem of designing the network of collection and processing facilities for medical waste and optimizing the vehicle route that collects and transfers the waste between facilities. Due to distinct topographic restrictions in the considered city, the collection and transfer process needs to be conducted in two echelons – from hospitals to collection centers using smaller vehicles and then to the processing facilities using trucks. This work addresses these two problems as a two-echelon location-routing problem. Findings A mixed-integer programming model is developed to minimize the cost of opening the facilities and transporting medical waste. Several managerial insights are drawn up to assist planners and decision-makers. Originality/value This study follows a case study approach to provide a descriptive and prescriptive approach to hospital waste management in the ancient city of Varanasi. The city has witnessed unplanned growth over the years and is densely populated. The health-care facilities in the city have a large catchment area and attract patients from neighboring districts. The situation analysis based on secondary data and unstructured interviews of the stakeholders suggests that the ad hoc approach prevails in present hospital waste management in the city.
{"title":"Solving hospital waste management problem in a developing country – a case of Varanasi city in India","authors":"Abhishek Raj, Vinaytosh Mishra, Ajinkya N. Tanksale, Cherian Samuel","doi":"10.1108/f-04-2023-0040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/f-04-2023-0040","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose The purpose of this study is to solve the problem of healthcare waste management in developing countries. The buildup of medical waste has attracted the attention of all spheres of society due to the expanding population and developing economy. Timely collection and processing of medical waste are extremely important due to its potential hazards. Although the problem of planning medical waste management has been addressed in developed countries, it persists in several developing countries. This research is motivated by an example of a city in India characterized by a dense population, abundant health-care facilities and a lack of planning for managing large medical waste generated daily. Design/methodology/approach The authors address the problem of designing the network of collection and processing facilities for medical waste and optimizing the vehicle route that collects and transfers the waste between facilities. Due to distinct topographic restrictions in the considered city, the collection and transfer process needs to be conducted in two echelons – from hospitals to collection centers using smaller vehicles and then to the processing facilities using trucks. This work addresses these two problems as a two-echelon location-routing problem. Findings A mixed-integer programming model is developed to minimize the cost of opening the facilities and transporting medical waste. Several managerial insights are drawn up to assist planners and decision-makers. Originality/value This study follows a case study approach to provide a descriptive and prescriptive approach to hospital waste management in the ancient city of Varanasi. The city has witnessed unplanned growth over the years and is densely populated. The health-care facilities in the city have a large catchment area and attract patients from neighboring districts. The situation analysis based on secondary data and unstructured interviews of the stakeholders suggests that the ad hoc approach prevails in present hospital waste management in the city.","PeriodicalId":47595,"journal":{"name":"Facilities","volume":"51 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139169734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Emma Zijlstra, Mariët Hagedoorn, Wim P. Krijnen, Cees P. van der Schans, Mark P. Mobach
Purpose
Until now, it is not clear whether there are differences in patient perception between multi-bedded rooms with two and four beds. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the physical (i.e. room type) and psychosocial (i.e. kindness of roommates and extraversion) aspects on the patients’ experience (i.e. pleasantness of the room, anxiety, sleep quality) in multi-bedded rooms in an oncology ward.
Design/methodology/approach
A group of 84 hospitalized oncology patients completed a questionnaire on the day of departure. Room types were categorized into two groups: two-person and four-person rooms.
Findings
Multivariate logistic regression analyses with the minimum Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) showed no direct main effects of room type (two vs. four-person room), kindness of roommates and extraversion on pleasantness of the room, anxiety and sleep quality. However, the authors found an interaction effect between room type and extraversion on pleasantness of the room. Patients who score relatively high in extraversion rated the room as more pleasant when they stayed in a four-person rather than a two-person room. For patients relatively low in extraversion, room type was not related to pleasantness of the room.
Practical implications
The findings allow hospitals to better understand individual differences in patient experiences. Hospitals should inform patients about the benefits of the different room types and potential influences of personality (extraversion) so patients are empowered and can benefit from autonomy and the most appropriate place.
Originality/value
This study emphasizes the importance of including four-person rooms in an oncology ward, while new hospital facility layouts mainly include single-bed rooms.
{"title":"Experiencing the physical and psychosocial aspects in a multi-bedded room in an oncology ward in the Netherlands before the COVID-19 pandemic","authors":"Emma Zijlstra, Mariët Hagedoorn, Wim P. Krijnen, Cees P. van der Schans, Mark P. Mobach","doi":"10.1108/f-06-2022-0081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/f-06-2022-0081","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Purpose</h3>\u0000<p>Until now, it is not clear whether there are differences in patient perception between multi-bedded rooms with two and four beds. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the physical (i.e. room type) and psychosocial (i.e. kindness of roommates and extraversion) aspects on the patients’ experience (i.e. pleasantness of the room, anxiety, sleep quality) in multi-bedded rooms in an oncology ward.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3>\u0000<p>A group of 84 hospitalized oncology patients completed a questionnaire on the day of departure. Room types were categorized into two groups: two-person and four-person rooms.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Findings</h3>\u0000<p>Multivariate logistic regression analyses with the minimum Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) showed no direct main effects of room type (two vs. four-person room), kindness of roommates and extraversion on pleasantness of the room, anxiety and sleep quality. However, the authors found an interaction effect between room type and extraversion on pleasantness of the room. Patients who score relatively high in extraversion rated the room as more pleasant when they stayed in a four-person rather than a two-person room. For patients relatively low in extraversion, room type was not related to pleasantness of the room.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Practical implications</h3>\u0000<p>The findings allow hospitals to better understand individual differences in patient experiences. Hospitals should inform patients about the benefits of the different room types and potential influences of personality (extraversion) so patients are empowered and can benefit from autonomy and the most appropriate place.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Originality/value</h3>\u0000<p>This study emphasizes the importance of including four-person rooms in an oncology ward, while new hospital facility layouts mainly include single-bed rooms.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->","PeriodicalId":47595,"journal":{"name":"Facilities","volume":"219 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138692241","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study aims to investigate university staff relocation from multiple separate buildings to a new building with activity-based flexible offices (AFOs) at a University in Sweden. The aim was to assess staff perceptions of the physical and psychosocial work environment and whether there were any changes in these perceptions before and after the move.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-methods design was used, analyzing closed-ended survey data at two time points (T1, n = 169 and T2, n = 160) and open-ended responses (n = 180) at T2.
Findings
The main findings revealed that employees started working more from home and that there were significant decreases in perceptions of the physical and psychosocial work environment, as well as job satisfaction, after the move to the new premises.
Practical implications
A comprehensive analysis of existing work processes, tasks and collaborations is crucial when planning new university premises. The planning process needs to be done in close collaboration with different stakeholders with multiple perspectives.
Originality/value
Introduction of AFOs in an academic setting can lead to negative consequences for occupational health and efficiency.
{"title":"Consequences of implementing activity-based flexible offices in academia: a follow-up study of perceived changes in the physical and psychosocial work environment after relocation","authors":"Susanna Toivanen, Hanne Berthelsen, Tuija Muhonen","doi":"10.1108/f-05-2023-0043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/f-05-2023-0043","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Purpose</h3>\u0000<p>This study aims to investigate university staff relocation from multiple separate buildings to a new building with activity-based flexible offices (AFOs) at a University in Sweden. The aim was to assess staff perceptions of the physical and psychosocial work environment and whether there were any changes in these perceptions before and after the move.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3>\u0000<p>A mixed-methods design was used, analyzing closed-ended survey data at two time points (T1, <em>n</em> = 169 and T2, <em>n</em> = 160) and open-ended responses (<em>n</em> = 180) at T2.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Findings</h3>\u0000<p>The main findings revealed that employees started working more from home and that there were significant decreases in perceptions of the physical and psychosocial work environment, as well as job satisfaction, after the move to the new premises.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Practical implications</h3>\u0000<p>A comprehensive analysis of existing work processes, tasks and collaborations is crucial when planning new university premises. The planning process needs to be done in close collaboration with different stakeholders with multiple perspectives.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Originality/value</h3>\u0000<p>Introduction of AFOs in an academic setting can lead to negative consequences for occupational health and efficiency.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->","PeriodicalId":47595,"journal":{"name":"Facilities","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138569195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marziyeh Faghiholislam, Hamidreza Azemati, Hadi Keshmiri, Somayeh Pourbagher
<h3>Purpose</h3> <p>The most common reaction to an acute physical illness is anxiety, which may be followed by depression. In patients with chronic diseases, the prevalence of anxiety disorders and depression is almost twice as high as in other diseases. This study aims to extract prominent components in the design of treatment spaces on reducing hospitalized patients’ depression from both experts and patients/users’ point of views. A final model is also presented based on the findings.</p><!--/ Abstract__block --> <h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3> <p>This research used an exploratory mixed method. The effective components were extracted through the administration of two Likert-scale researcher-made questionnaires in two phases. Q factor analysis was conducted to reach the components. A total of 205 patients were admitted to Namazi Hospital in Shiraz, and 20 architecture and psychology experts participated in the survey. Final modeling of the data was done through path analysis.</p><!--/ Abstract__block --> <h3>Findings</h3> <p>Six factors were found to be effective by experts in reducing depression in therapeutic spaces: nature-oriented space, targeted social space, diverse space, visual comfort, logical process and safe space. On the part of patients, seven components were deemed to be effective: visual perception, naturalism, functionalism, physical security, logical process, psychological safety and diversity. Also, four main cycles were extracted from the final model with the direct effect of diversity and the other five cycles were mediated by naturalism.</p><!--/ Abstract__block --> <h3>Research limitations/implications</h3> <p>A total of 15 interviews with architects and psychologists, who were available at the time of the study, were conducted in January 2018. The only general question during interviews was “In your opinion, what factors are effective in reducing the level of depression of patients in the design of treatment spaces?” This may have limited the range of factors that could be surveyed in the study. After collecting the effective factors from the aforementioned expert’s points of view, the questionnaire of experts was designed (Appendix). The expert questionnaires were distributed and edited in two stages in January 2019 among 20 architect experts who were available at the time of the study. The one-year interval between designing and administering the questionnaires occurred because of the limitations posed by the COVID-19 pandemic situation. However, the interval did not pose methodological obstacles for the study.</p><!--/ Abstract__block --> <h3>Originality/value</h3> <p>Evidence-based investigation of the effectiveness of proper design components of therapeutic spaces in reducing the symptoms of patients with chronic secondary depression has received little attention in the literature. Using a “conceptual model,” the present study brought the issue into its focus so as to find effective components in the design of tr
{"title":"Extraction of effective cycles on reducing patients’ depression in the design of treatment spaces","authors":"Marziyeh Faghiholislam, Hamidreza Azemati, Hadi Keshmiri, Somayeh Pourbagher","doi":"10.1108/f-08-2022-0104","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/f-08-2022-0104","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Purpose</h3>\u0000<p>The most common reaction to an acute physical illness is anxiety, which may be followed by depression. In patients with chronic diseases, the prevalence of anxiety disorders and depression is almost twice as high as in other diseases. This study aims to extract prominent components in the design of treatment spaces on reducing hospitalized patients’ depression from both experts and patients/users’ point of views. A final model is also presented based on the findings.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3>\u0000<p>This research used an exploratory mixed method. The effective components were extracted through the administration of two Likert-scale researcher-made questionnaires in two phases. Q factor analysis was conducted to reach the components. A total of 205 patients were admitted to Namazi Hospital in Shiraz, and 20 architecture and psychology experts participated in the survey. Final modeling of the data was done through path analysis.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Findings</h3>\u0000<p>Six factors were found to be effective by experts in reducing depression in therapeutic spaces: nature-oriented space, targeted social space, diverse space, visual comfort, logical process and safe space. On the part of patients, seven components were deemed to be effective: visual perception, naturalism, functionalism, physical security, logical process, psychological safety and diversity. Also, four main cycles were extracted from the final model with the direct effect of diversity and the other five cycles were mediated by naturalism.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Research limitations/implications</h3>\u0000<p>A total of 15 interviews with architects and psychologists, who were available at the time of the study, were conducted in January 2018. The only general question during interviews was “In your opinion, what factors are effective in reducing the level of depression of patients in the design of treatment spaces?” This may have limited the range of factors that could be surveyed in the study. After collecting the effective factors from the aforementioned expert’s points of view, the questionnaire of experts was designed (Appendix). The expert questionnaires were distributed and edited in two stages in January 2019 among 20 architect experts who were available at the time of the study. The one-year interval between designing and administering the questionnaires occurred because of the limitations posed by the COVID-19 pandemic situation. However, the interval did not pose methodological obstacles for the study.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Originality/value</h3>\u0000<p>Evidence-based investigation of the effectiveness of proper design components of therapeutic spaces in reducing the symptoms of patients with chronic secondary depression has received little attention in the literature. Using a “conceptual model,” the present study brought the issue into its focus so as to find effective components in the design of tr","PeriodicalId":47595,"journal":{"name":"Facilities","volume":"39 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2023-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138509515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Purpose The emergence of Covid-19 and its epidemic features have affected many people around the world. Regardless of the physical and psychological problems caused by it, people must isolate themselves from their surroundings. This problem is more intense in urban areas where people live in crowded apartments and high-rise buildings. During the lockdown, residents of such buildings suffered from disconnection from nature, in addition to the lack of communication with others. As most multi-story apartments and residential complexes do not have separate green spaces and do not provide a safe connection to nature for occupants, it is very tough for the residents of these buildings to endure the disease, and occupants are more vulnerable to disease. Accordingly, this study proposes the biophilic design as an effective approach to provide a secure connection with nature in residential complexes and high-rise apartments. Design/methodology/approach The questionnaire method was used in this study to analyze the raised hypotheses. Two types of residential zones were selected for the survey and comparing the results. One is apartment units without dedicated green space, and the other is villa houses with private green space. Size of the sample population include 300 people (150 residents of an apartment block and 150 residents of villa homes). Findings Strict restrictions during the pandemic have prevented people from connecting with nature, especially in urban areas, owing to the lack of separated and dedicated green spaces, whereas connection with nature can be healing and lead to relieving anxiety and stress in this era based on the approved research. Accordingly, applying a biophilic approach to the design process would be helpful. Research limitations/implications The lack of a biophilic project to observe was one of the limitations of this study. Being an available biophilic project in the surroundings could be very helpful to observe and acquire comprehensive knowledge and experiences from the handlers and users of biophilic buildings. Practical implications This study can be beneficial for patients, individuals and occupants of apartments and residential complexes in urban areas who suffer from distance from nature and green spaces during the restrictions of pandemics such as Covid-19. Originality/value This study proposes the use of biophilic architecture in the design process of residential complexes and high-rise apartments to provide isolated and dedicated green spaces for occupants, especially during the lockdown when people have been deprived of parks and public green spaces.
{"title":"Biophilic design: an effective design approach during pandemic and post-pandemic","authors":"Amin Bahador, Mahnaz Mahmudi Zarandi","doi":"10.1108/f-01-2023-0004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/f-01-2023-0004","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose The emergence of Covid-19 and its epidemic features have affected many people around the world. Regardless of the physical and psychological problems caused by it, people must isolate themselves from their surroundings. This problem is more intense in urban areas where people live in crowded apartments and high-rise buildings. During the lockdown, residents of such buildings suffered from disconnection from nature, in addition to the lack of communication with others. As most multi-story apartments and residential complexes do not have separate green spaces and do not provide a safe connection to nature for occupants, it is very tough for the residents of these buildings to endure the disease, and occupants are more vulnerable to disease. Accordingly, this study proposes the biophilic design as an effective approach to provide a secure connection with nature in residential complexes and high-rise apartments. Design/methodology/approach The questionnaire method was used in this study to analyze the raised hypotheses. Two types of residential zones were selected for the survey and comparing the results. One is apartment units without dedicated green space, and the other is villa houses with private green space. Size of the sample population include 300 people (150 residents of an apartment block and 150 residents of villa homes). Findings Strict restrictions during the pandemic have prevented people from connecting with nature, especially in urban areas, owing to the lack of separated and dedicated green spaces, whereas connection with nature can be healing and lead to relieving anxiety and stress in this era based on the approved research. Accordingly, applying a biophilic approach to the design process would be helpful. Research limitations/implications The lack of a biophilic project to observe was one of the limitations of this study. Being an available biophilic project in the surroundings could be very helpful to observe and acquire comprehensive knowledge and experiences from the handlers and users of biophilic buildings. Practical implications This study can be beneficial for patients, individuals and occupants of apartments and residential complexes in urban areas who suffer from distance from nature and green spaces during the restrictions of pandemics such as Covid-19. Originality/value This study proposes the use of biophilic architecture in the design process of residential complexes and high-rise apartments to provide isolated and dedicated green spaces for occupants, especially during the lockdown when people have been deprived of parks and public green spaces.","PeriodicalId":47595,"journal":{"name":"Facilities","volume":" 7","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135192531","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Purpose In the context of a developing country, Indian buildings need further research to channelize energy needs optimally to reduce energy wastage, thereby reducing carbon emissions. Also, reduction in smart devices’ costs with sequential advancements in Information and Communication Technology have resulted in an environment where model predictive control (MPC) strategies can be easily implemented. This study aims to propose certain preemptive measures to minimize the energy costs, while ensuring the thermal comfort for occupants, resulting in better greener solutions for building structures. Design/methodology/approach A simulation-based multi-input multi-output MPC strategy has been proposed. A dual objective function involving optimized energy consumption with acceptable thermal comfort has been achieved through simultaneous control of indoor temperature, humidity and illumination using various control variables. A regression-based lighting model and seasonal auto-regressive moving average with exogenous inputs (SARMAX) based temperature and humidity models have been chosen as predictor models along with four different control levels incorporated. Findings The mathematical approach in this study maintains an optimum tradeoff between energy cost savings and satisfactory occupants’ comfort levels. The proposed control mechanism establishes the relationships of output variables with respect to control and disturbance variables. The SARMAX and regression-based predictor models are found to be the best fit models in terms of accuracy, stability and superior performance. By adopting the proposed methodology, significant energy savings can be accomplished during certain hours of the day. Research limitations/implications This study has been done on a specific corporate entity and future analysis can be done on other corporate or residential buildings and in other geographical settings within India. Inclusion of sensitivity analysis and non-linear predictor models is another area of future scope. Originality/value This study presents a dynamic MPC strategy, using five disturbance variables which further improves the overall performance and accuracy. In contrast to previous studies on MPC, SARMAX model has been used in this study, which is a novel contribution to the theoretical literature. Four levels of control zones: pre-cooling, strict, mild and loose zones have been used in the calculations to keep the Predictive Mean Vote index within acceptable threshold limits.
{"title":"Model predictive control for smart buildings: a simulation approach within Indian context","authors":"Kamal Pandey, Bhaskar Basu","doi":"10.1108/f-11-2022-0141","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/f-11-2022-0141","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose In the context of a developing country, Indian buildings need further research to channelize energy needs optimally to reduce energy wastage, thereby reducing carbon emissions. Also, reduction in smart devices’ costs with sequential advancements in Information and Communication Technology have resulted in an environment where model predictive control (MPC) strategies can be easily implemented. This study aims to propose certain preemptive measures to minimize the energy costs, while ensuring the thermal comfort for occupants, resulting in better greener solutions for building structures. Design/methodology/approach A simulation-based multi-input multi-output MPC strategy has been proposed. A dual objective function involving optimized energy consumption with acceptable thermal comfort has been achieved through simultaneous control of indoor temperature, humidity and illumination using various control variables. A regression-based lighting model and seasonal auto-regressive moving average with exogenous inputs (SARMAX) based temperature and humidity models have been chosen as predictor models along with four different control levels incorporated. Findings The mathematical approach in this study maintains an optimum tradeoff between energy cost savings and satisfactory occupants’ comfort levels. The proposed control mechanism establishes the relationships of output variables with respect to control and disturbance variables. The SARMAX and regression-based predictor models are found to be the best fit models in terms of accuracy, stability and superior performance. By adopting the proposed methodology, significant energy savings can be accomplished during certain hours of the day. Research limitations/implications This study has been done on a specific corporate entity and future analysis can be done on other corporate or residential buildings and in other geographical settings within India. Inclusion of sensitivity analysis and non-linear predictor models is another area of future scope. Originality/value This study presents a dynamic MPC strategy, using five disturbance variables which further improves the overall performance and accuracy. In contrast to previous studies on MPC, SARMAX model has been used in this study, which is a novel contribution to the theoretical literature. Four levels of control zones: pre-cooling, strict, mild and loose zones have been used in the calculations to keep the Predictive Mean Vote index within acceptable threshold limits.","PeriodicalId":47595,"journal":{"name":"Facilities","volume":"8 2","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135431095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Deniz Artan, Isilay Tekce, Neziha Yilmaz, Esin Ergen
Purpose Occupant feedback is crucial for healthy, comfortable and productive offices. Existing facility management (FM) systems are limited in effective use of occupant feedback, as they fail to collect the vital contextual information (e.g. related building element, space) associated with the feedback. The purpose of this study is to formalise the contextual information requirements for structured collection of occupant feedback for rapid diagnosis and resolution of problems and integrating occupant feedback with building information modelling (BIM) for making use of its visualisation and analysis capabilities, and eventually for effective use of occupant feedback in FM operations. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods approach was conducted in four steps: (1) identifying occupant feedback types (e.g. echo in meeting room) in office buildings, (2) examining the current practice in collecting and processing occupant feedback via use cases, (3) determining the contextual information requirements via expert interviews and (4) validation of the information requirements via a BIM-integrated prototype. Findings The findings present the contextual information requirements for 107 occupant feedback types grouped under thermal comfort, indoor air quality, acoustic comfort, visual comfort, building design and facility services. Practical implications Feedback-specific contextual information items enable structured data collection and help to avoid missing data and minimise the time lost in manual data entry and recursive interaction with the occupants during FM operations. Originality/value The contextual information requirements determined are expected to enhance occupant satisfaction and FM performance in office buildings by better use of the occupant feedback and integration into BIM-enabled FM and can be extended to other building types in future studies by using the proposed methodology.
{"title":"The contextual information requirements for collection and use of occupant feedback in BIM-enabled FM","authors":"Deniz Artan, Isilay Tekce, Neziha Yilmaz, Esin Ergen","doi":"10.1108/f-03-2023-0028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/f-03-2023-0028","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose Occupant feedback is crucial for healthy, comfortable and productive offices. Existing facility management (FM) systems are limited in effective use of occupant feedback, as they fail to collect the vital contextual information (e.g. related building element, space) associated with the feedback. The purpose of this study is to formalise the contextual information requirements for structured collection of occupant feedback for rapid diagnosis and resolution of problems and integrating occupant feedback with building information modelling (BIM) for making use of its visualisation and analysis capabilities, and eventually for effective use of occupant feedback in FM operations. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods approach was conducted in four steps: (1) identifying occupant feedback types (e.g. echo in meeting room) in office buildings, (2) examining the current practice in collecting and processing occupant feedback via use cases, (3) determining the contextual information requirements via expert interviews and (4) validation of the information requirements via a BIM-integrated prototype. Findings The findings present the contextual information requirements for 107 occupant feedback types grouped under thermal comfort, indoor air quality, acoustic comfort, visual comfort, building design and facility services. Practical implications Feedback-specific contextual information items enable structured data collection and help to avoid missing data and minimise the time lost in manual data entry and recursive interaction with the occupants during FM operations. Originality/value The contextual information requirements determined are expected to enhance occupant satisfaction and FM performance in office buildings by better use of the occupant feedback and integration into BIM-enabled FM and can be extended to other building types in future studies by using the proposed methodology.","PeriodicalId":47595,"journal":{"name":"Facilities","volume":"24 4","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135216412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Eziaku Onyeizu Rasheed, Maryam Khoshbakht, George Baird
Purpose This paper aims to illustrate the extensive benefits of qualitative data analysis as a rarely undertaken process in post-occupancy evaluation surveys. As a result, there is limited evidence of what occupants say about their buildings, especially for operational parameters, as opposed to how they rate them. While quantitative analyses provide useful information on how workers feel about workplace operational factors, qualitative analyses provide richer information on what aspects of the workplace workers identify as influential to their comfort, well-being and productivity. Design/methodology/approach The authors analysed 6,938 comments from office buildings worldwide on workers’ perception of workplace operational factors: design, storage, needs, space at desks and storage in their work environments. These factors were analysed based on the buildings’ design intent and use, and the associated comments were coded into positive, negative and balanced comments. The authors used a combination of coding, descriptive analysis, content analysis and word cloud to dissect the comments. Findings The findings showed that whereas workers rated these operational factors favourably, there were significantly more negative comments about each factor. Also, the Chi-square test showed a significant association ( p < 0.01) between the satisfaction scale and the type of comments received for all the operational factors. This means that when a factor is rated high in the satisfaction score (5–7), there were fewer negative and more positive comments and vice versa. The word cloud analysis highlighted vital aspects of the office environment the workers mostly commented on, such as open plan design, natural lighting, space and windows, toilets, facilities, kitchens, meeting room booking systems, storage and furniture. Research limitations/implications This study highlights the importance of dissecting building occupants’ comments as integral to building performance monitoring and measurement. These emphasise the richness and value of respondents’ comments and the importance of critically analysing them. A limitation is that only 6,938 comments were viable for analysis because most comments were either incomplete with no meaning or were not provided. This underlines the importance of encouraging respondents to comment and express their feelings in questionnaire surveys. Also, the building use studies questionnaire data set presents extensive opportunities for further analyses of interrelationships between demographics, building characteristics and environmental and operational factors. Practical implications The findings from this study can be applied to future projects and facility management to maintain and improve office buildings throughout their life cycle. Also, these findings are essential in predicting the requirements of future workplaces for robust workplace designs and management. Originality/value The authors identified specific comments on the perfor
{"title":"“Do office workers’ comments corroborate the ratings they give their buildings?” A qualitative analysis of comments on operational factors in the workplace","authors":"Eziaku Onyeizu Rasheed, Maryam Khoshbakht, George Baird","doi":"10.1108/f-05-2023-0047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/f-05-2023-0047","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose This paper aims to illustrate the extensive benefits of qualitative data analysis as a rarely undertaken process in post-occupancy evaluation surveys. As a result, there is limited evidence of what occupants say about their buildings, especially for operational parameters, as opposed to how they rate them. While quantitative analyses provide useful information on how workers feel about workplace operational factors, qualitative analyses provide richer information on what aspects of the workplace workers identify as influential to their comfort, well-being and productivity. Design/methodology/approach The authors analysed 6,938 comments from office buildings worldwide on workers’ perception of workplace operational factors: design, storage, needs, space at desks and storage in their work environments. These factors were analysed based on the buildings’ design intent and use, and the associated comments were coded into positive, negative and balanced comments. The authors used a combination of coding, descriptive analysis, content analysis and word cloud to dissect the comments. Findings The findings showed that whereas workers rated these operational factors favourably, there were significantly more negative comments about each factor. Also, the Chi-square test showed a significant association ( p < 0.01) between the satisfaction scale and the type of comments received for all the operational factors. This means that when a factor is rated high in the satisfaction score (5–7), there were fewer negative and more positive comments and vice versa. The word cloud analysis highlighted vital aspects of the office environment the workers mostly commented on, such as open plan design, natural lighting, space and windows, toilets, facilities, kitchens, meeting room booking systems, storage and furniture. Research limitations/implications This study highlights the importance of dissecting building occupants’ comments as integral to building performance monitoring and measurement. These emphasise the richness and value of respondents’ comments and the importance of critically analysing them. A limitation is that only 6,938 comments were viable for analysis because most comments were either incomplete with no meaning or were not provided. This underlines the importance of encouraging respondents to comment and express their feelings in questionnaire surveys. Also, the building use studies questionnaire data set presents extensive opportunities for further analyses of interrelationships between demographics, building characteristics and environmental and operational factors. Practical implications The findings from this study can be applied to future projects and facility management to maintain and improve office buildings throughout their life cycle. Also, these findings are essential in predicting the requirements of future workplaces for robust workplace designs and management. Originality/value The authors identified specific comments on the perfor","PeriodicalId":47595,"journal":{"name":"Facilities","volume":"18 20","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135809082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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