Stephen Siu-Yu Lau

A survey of the health and safety conditions of apartment buildings in Hong Kong

Abstract A high-density built environment poses challenges to the idea of sustainable development in respect of health (e.g. SARS outbreak) and safety (e.g. fire and structural problems). To examine the seriousness of the high-density problem, this study aims to survey the health and safety performance of apartment buildings in a densely populated city, Hong Kong, using a simplified assessment scheme. An assessment scheme based on a hierarchy of building performance indicators concerning the quality of: (a) architectural design, (b) building services design, (c) the surrounding environment, (d) operations and maintenance, and (e) management approaches was developed. One hundred forty (140) apartment buildings were surveyed and assessed through site inspections, desk searches, and interviews. A performance analysis was conducted to examine and compare the overall health and safety performance of the buildings. We found that there were considerable variations in health and safety conditions across buildings, even though they are located within a single district. Most of the variations in building health and safety conditions were attributed to differences in building management systems rather than building design. Enhancing strategic management approaches (e.g. a better delineation of owners’ rights and duties) appears to be the most critical factor that underperformers should consider in order to improve their buildings.

Subjective and Objective Evaluation of the Thermal Environment in a Three-Star Green Office Building in China

A post-occupancy study was carried out to investigate the thermal environment in a high-standard office building certified by China Three-star Green Building Label. The study included a subjective evaluation of the indoor environment quality and work performance. A total of 182 office workers responded to the questionnaire survey based on the Building Use Studies (BUS) Occupant Survey and Reporting Method. Objective measurements of the thermal environment (temperature and relative humidity) under mechanically and naturally ventilated conditions were also carried out in the building. Although the thermal environment satisfied the majority of respondents, 12% and 20% reported dissatisfaction with summer and winter temperatures, respectively. The complaint on summer temperature was mainly from those working close to the chilled air outlets of the air-conditioners. The perception of cold winter temperatures revealed the potential shortcomings of sustainable building design in humid subtropical climates, where natural ventilation and passive cooling would predominate in the sustainable design while cold air in winter would tend to be neglected. The purpose of this study was to investigate the reasons why green buildings succeeded or failed to meet occupants’ perception and this could have an implication in the design decisions for green building practice.

Contextualizing green building rating systems: Case study of Hong Kong

Abstract The paper reports on a research study undertaken on the differentiation of green building certification systems at an international, national and local level. Through a cross comparison, authors are able to explain the differences by the contextualism theory which could be traced back to the fundamental divergence on lifestyles, preferences, urban morphology besides climatic variations. The discussion is derived from a study of three green rating systems representing international, national and local systems with reference to intentions, mechanisms and benchmarks to facilitate objective assessments. For the case of Hong Kong, local challenges are identified and compared with counterparts at a national level. Two residential projects having certified by the ‘modified, localized’ national system is selected for a case study for synopsis with a view to explain the cause and effect of transferability versus non-transferability of assessment credits and protocols. Introducing and applying national and international systems to a local context can detect flaws in local design practices that may be ignored in the local rating system.

Indoor Environmental Satisfaction in Two LEED Offices and its Implications in Green Interior Design

The green building movement is an attempt to address IEQ and occupant health concerns by providing healthier building environments. As improved IEQ is the stated goal of green design, we question how green offices are in fact performing in comparison to non-green buildings, from the occupants’ perspectives. The findings of this research showed there was no significant difference in the overall satisfaction with IEQ between the two LEED offices and conventional offices in the same city. The most influential IEQ aspect of overall satisfaction was lighting satisfaction. One LEED office had good satisfaction with the noise environment but poor satisfaction with the lighting environment; the other LEED office had good satisfaction with the lighting environment. The IEQ characteristics in the two LEED offices are discussed to generate design implications in green interior projects and IEQ improvements.

Post‐occupancy evaluation of the thermal environment in a green building

Purpose – A green building should provide occupants with a comfortable and energy‐efficient environment. The aim of this paper is, following a post‐occupancy study, to find out whether the green intent is being delivered.Design/methodology/approach – A post‐occupancy study was conducted in a high standard office building certified by Chinas Green Building Label. The study included an occupant survey and a physical measurement.Findings – The building generally achieved its intended thermal environment of 25°C during cooling seasons and satisfied more than 80 per cent of occupants. Sources of discomfort, including low temperatures in both the summer and winter were identified. Objective measurements showed that the buildings indoor temperature varied among floors in both the summer and winter. The variation was mainly a result of occupancy conditions. Variations in the thermal environment also revealed that the buildings users have good energy conservation habits.Research limitations/implications – Post‐...

Sustainable resorts: learning from the 2004 tsunami

Purpose – Given the extensive destruction resulting from the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that destroyed and damaged resort complexes in southern Thailand, the purpose of this research paper is to focus on the planning of architecture of resorts in two layers: the relationship of structures and land use to the natural environment, and the identification of specific design flaws that resulted in the loss of life.Design/methodology/approach – An international collaborative effort led to site visits by our research team to the hardest‐hit resort areas of Khao Lak, Takua Pa, and Ko Phi Phi on December 29, 2004‐January 6, 2005, and in February 2005. The research team had direct contact with the adverse effects of the tsunami and gained insightful understanding on how structures and faulty architectural designs worsened the disaster and obstructed the process of saving lives. Analysis of these effects were then compiled and used to underpin subsequent proposals for resort reconstruction to minimize fut...

Comparison of mood and task performance in naturally-lit and artificially-lit environments

The article presents the results of a laboratory study conducted at Shanghai Tongji University. The study compares participants’ mood and task performance between naturally-lit and artificially-lit environments, with a view to identify negative impacts, such as lighting variation and temperature asymmetry caused by dynamic natural light. It was observed that the mood change in the naturally-lit environment was more significant, especially the decrease of positive mood, than in the artificially-lit environment. For the subjects in the naturally-lit environment, performance scores decreased with increase in the light intensity and temperature asymmetry. Based on the study results, suitable daylighting design was recommended for classrooms or offices.

Impacts of green certifications, ventilation and office types on occupant satisfaction with indoor environmental quality

One of the important reasons for the interest in green buildings is that the employees can benefit from healthy and productive work environments. This research aims to provide evidence that can affect design decisions by a literature review and an occupant survey. Three important design decisions (green certifications, ventilation types and office types) were investigated through a standard occupant survey in China. Highly rated green buildings could be effective to provide a comfortable, healthy and productive work environment. Mixed-mode ventilation (a hybrid approach to space conditioning that uses a combination of natural ventilation and mechanical systems) and high cubicles (open-plan offices with high partitions) are sensible choices for green buildings to achieve high environmental satisfactions.

Sick building syndrome in open‐plan offices: Workplace design elements and perceived indoor environmental quality

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to present a sick building syndrome (SBS) survey in open‐plan offices. The design factors (indoor plants, workstation partitions, and operable windows) that predict SBS were described for architects and interior designers, and the indoor environmental characteristics (thermal comfort, air quality, noise and lighting) that contribute to SBS symptoms were also investigated.Design/methodology/approach – This study used a standard Building Use Studies (BUS) questionnaire that included sick building syndrome symptoms, environmental satisfaction and perception, and background information about the respondents and their office space. The questionnaire was conducted in 30 offices of building‐related professionals in Hong Kong. There were 469 Chinese office workers that participated.Findings – Indoor plants and operable windows were related to a reduction of SBS symptoms; while workstation partitions did not affect the incidence of SBS symptoms. There were fewer sick buildi...