Office Environment Research Articles

Leveraging the Integration of IoT Devices for Energy Optimization in Office Blocks

The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in office buildings has emerged as a promising solution for enhancing energy efficiency and optimizing resource utilization. In the context of modern workplaces, the adoption of smart technologies offers a transformative approach towards achieving energy optimization goals. Internet connected smart devices are ubiquitous and hence opens new opportunities for optimising energy consumption within office blocks. This research paper explores the integration of IoT devices within an office environment to improve energy efficiency and sustainability. The research paper aims to review a simple and low-cost smart workplace model that employs IoT technology, cloud storage, and data analytics for real-time monitoring and analysis of energy consumption patterns within an office environment. The study examines the implementation of an integration of IoT sensors within an office environment enabling HVAC and lighting systems to dynamically adjust energy use based on real-time conditions such as occupancy levels, ambient temperature, and daylight availability. Through the identification of trends, anomalies, and opportunities for optimization, the study seeks to qualify adaptive control strategies that can effectually reduce energy waste and improve general operational productivity in office buildings. The findings from this research underwrite to the growing field of smart offices by demonstrating the potential of integrating IoT devices for energy optimization in modern office blocks.

Exploring the relationship between office lighting, cognitive performance, and psychophysiological responses: A multidimensional approach

Recognizing the growing importance of optimizing work environments for better cognitive performance, this study examined the relationships between general office lighting, psychophysiological responses and cognitive performance. Sixteen healthy adults in their 20s participated in experiments under nine different lighting conditions combining three levels of correlated color temperature (i.e., 4,000K, 5,000K, and 6,500K) and three levels of illuminance (i.e., 200 lx, 500 lx, and 800 lx). In the experiments, subjects’ primary and complex cognitive performances were measured and their psychophysiological responses such as mental workload, drowsiness, mental fatigue and stress, and visual fatigue were evaluated. Statistical analyses revealed that higher correlated color temperature and illuminance significantly enhanced primary cognitive performance but did not significantly impact complex cognitive performance or most psychophysiological responses. Notably, psychophysiological responses and cognitive performances were found to have mutual relationships rather than one being an absolute independent variable for another. The study suggests that tailored smart lighting systems could enhance cognitive performance in office environments by dynamically adjusting lighting conditions based on real-time psychophysiological feedback.

Energy retrofitting of hospital buildings considering climate change: An approach integrating automated machine learning with NSGA-III for multi-objective optimization

In the context of sustainable development, energy-saving renovation of existing buildings can not only effectively reduce energy consumption but also improvement the residential comfort and office environments. This study proposes an optimization method for building energy-saving renovation based on automated machine learning and the NSGA-III algorithm, aiming at efficiently and accurately identifying the best energy-saving renovation schemes. The results showed that automated machine learning could provide a predictive model for multi-objective optimization analysis in a relatively short training time, with an average prediction accuracy of over 95%. And the Stacked Ensemble algorithm and Gradient Boosting Machine algorithm perform the best among all the algorithms considered in this study. Additionally, climate change significantly affects the energy-saving benefits and thermal comfort performance of renovation measures, thereby altering the choice of optimal schemes. The final renovation schemes obtained through the NSGA-III and entropy weight TOPSIS method can achieve an energy saving rate of 22.06% to 26.48% under typical climate scenarios, while also improving thermal comfort time by 31.87% to 43.73%. In future climate scenarios, an energy saving rate of 32.73% to 33.02% and a thermal comfort time of 40.20% to 42.29% can be achieved. Combining these two technologies can quickly and effectively find the best balance among energy consumption, whole life cycle cost, and thermal comfort time. The method proposed in this paper offers new perspectives and tools for researchers in the field of building energy conservation, demonstrating the application potential of automated machine learning and the NSGA-III algorithm in the energy-saving renovation of hospital buildings.

Effects of indoor plants on CO2 concentration, indoor air temperature and relative humidity in office buildings.

This experimental study investigates the influence of indoor plants on three aspects of air quality in office spaces: relative humidity, indoor air temperature, and carbon dioxide concentration. Employing a Latin square design, we rotated three different treatments across three offices over six time periods. These treatments included a control (no plants), a low-volume treatment (five plants), and a high-volume treatment (eighteen plants) of Nephrolepis exaltata (Boston fern). Air quality parameters were continuously monitored at five-minute intervals using Trace Gas Analyzers. Generalised linear mixed modelling (GLMM) was employed to examine the effect of each treatment on relative humidity, indoor air temperature and CO2 concentration. We observed a significant positive correlation between the number of indoor plants and relative humidity levels. In offices without any plants, the median relative humidity was 29.1%. This increased to 38.9% in offices with 5 plants and further to 49.2% in offices with 18 plants. However, we did not find significant associations between the number of indoor plants and indoor air temperature or corrected CO2 concentration. Our research provides support for the use of indoor plants to increase relative humidity, which can have health benefits in dry climates, but does not provide support for using indoor plants to regulate indoor air temperatures or CO2 concentration in office environments.

Multi‐band millimetre wave indoor directional channel measurements and analysis for future wireless communication systems

AbstractSingle‐input single‐output (SISO) three‐dimensional (3D) wideband indoor directional measurements collected in a factory environment and an office environment at 38 and 70 GHz are presented. 3D single‐input multiple‐output (SIMO) dual polarised measurements with 1 × 2 antenna configurations were also carried out in a meeting room, a conference room, and an office room at the 60 GHz band. The measurements cover both azimuth and elevation by rotating the directional antenna (RDA) at the receiver side. Different statistical channel parameters such as power delay profile, power angle profile, root‐mean‐square delay spread, angular spread, and path loss were estimated for different possible antenna orientations between the transmitter and the receiver, which include line‐of‐sight, obstructed line‐of‐sight, and non‐line‐of‐sight. The polarisation effects on path loss models and the delay and angular spread models based on the surface area of the environment are studied. The results will be valuable for the design of indoor millimetre wave cellular networks.

FACE RECOGNITION BASED OFFICE RESOURCE CONTROLLING

In contemporary office environments, effective resource management and access control are essential for maintaining security and optimizing productivity. Traditional methods of resource management and access control, such as manual logging and key- based systems, are often cumbersome, prone to errors, and lack real-time monitoring capabilities. In this paper, we propose a Face Recognition-Based Office Resource Controlling (FROC) system that leverages the capabilities of facial recognition technology to automate resource management and access control processes. The FROC system utilizes advanced deep learning algorithms to accurately identify individuals based on facial biometrics, granting or restricting access to office resources accordingly. By integrating facial recognition technology with centralized resource management software, the FROC system enables seamless and efficient control over office facilities, equipment, and confidential information. Additionally, the system offers real-time monitoring and logging of resource usage, enhancing security and accountability within the office environment. Through a combination of hardware components, including surveillance cameras and access control devices, and software modules for facial recognition and resource tracking, the FROC system provides a comprehensive solution for modern office resource management. We evaluate the performance and effectiveness of the FROC system through extensive testing in simulated office environments, demonstrating its potential to streamline operations, improve security, and optimize resource utilizationin office settings. Keywords: Convolutional Neural Networks, image recognition, Tensor Flow, Deep Learning, Teachable Machine,

Influence analysis of environmental factors on the subjective well-being of office workers in Japan: A structural equation modeling approach

The built environment is believed to have a considerable influence on the well-being of individuals. However, very few studies have been conducted to clarify the influence structure on the well-being of occupants in office spaces. There is a need to assess the influence of environmental factors at work and quality of life on well-being. We conducted an online survey in three metropolitan areas of Japan to investigate the influence structure on the subjective well-being (SWB). The survey items included questions on SWB, employment, office environment, private life, and community, personal attributes, and spatial attributes of the offices where they work. It was hypothesized that the influence structure can be explained using a higher-order factor analysis model, wherein “quality of work,” " quality of private life,” and " quality of community” serve as the top factors. Consequently, a structural equation model with a high level of goodness of fit was developed (CFI = 0.908 and RMSEA = 0.044). Improving “quality of work” had a significant impact as a key factor in promoting SWB in this model. The importance of “job satisfaction,” “fulfillment of office environment,” and “work engagement” in the assessment of work quality was further clarified. The multi-group analysis demonstrated the impact of variations in personal and spatial attributes on the influence structure. For example, office environments with basic quality and adjustability were found to be more critical for enhancing SWB of environmentally sensitive workers. Future surveys with diverse sample groups are required to validate the model in this study.

Depth accuracy analysis of the ZED 2i Stereo Camera in an indoor Environment

Accurate depth information is crucial for autonomous systems to navigate and interact safely with their surroundings. Passive stereo-vision cameras, such as the ZED 2i, obtain depth information through stereo-image analysis and triangulation. The study measures and assesses the true capabilities of the ZED 2i camera in a real indoor office environment. Furthermore, the study provides a standard test setup to reproduce similar benchmarks with different depth cameras. To achieve the set goals, an experiment was devised and carried out in an office environment to determine the camera depth error and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of the depth estimates at different distances using four different image resolutions. The results reveal that the depth error has heavy tails, implying that outliers substantially impact accuracy. Hence, depth errors should not be modeled as normally distributed errors. Moreover, only two out of four resolutions provided the capability of acquiring depth data up to 18 m. These insights provide guidelines for understanding the ZED 2i camera's true capabilities, determining its suitability for different applications and environments, and giving baselines for future tests of other competing sensor units. Furthermore, the study offers a simple, inexpensive, and laboratory space-free, yet effective setup that does not need extensive equipment or complex configurations to facilitate the benchmarking of depth cameras in different working environments.

The future of interactive information radiators for knowledge workers

Abstract Information Radiators (IRs) provide context-specific pieces of information in a semi-public place where a group of people can see it while working or passing-by. They can simplify information sharing “out-of-the-box”, foster awareness and socialization, create serendipity and enhance collaboration. Recent sociotechnical developments such as the establishment of permanent hybrid work settings as well as advances in the area of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) such as the emergence of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are likely to impact how IRs are being used – or even challenge their usefulness. In this article we discuss those developments and their possible implications for the design and use of IRs in the context of knowledge work in the next decades. We argue that IRs will probably remain an important part of future office environments providing awareness, supporting serendipity and building a situated social place for matchmaking as well as informal communication. Using new display and interaction technologies (such as AR) they might even grow in importance by enabling fluid work scenarios.

The effect of indoor temperature on work performance of fifty-eight people in a simulated office environment

There is general agreement that indoor thermal conditions affect Office Work Performance (OWP); however, consensus on the specific characteristics of this relationship, such as its shape, effect size, and prediction accuracy, remains elusive. To address this gap, we conducted a study with fifty-eight participants exposed to temperatures (23°C, 25°C, 27°C, and 29°C) in a simulated tropical office environment over 165min to determine how temperature affects OWP. These temperatures were chosen to mirror typical conditions in tropical buildings. We maintained constant variables, including relative humidity (50%), clothing (0.5clo), metabolic rate (1.1MET), and airspeed (0.1ms-1). We measured OWP using one cognitive ability and seven neuropsychological tests targeting executive functions like flexible thinking, working memory, and self-control. OWP remained constant across all tested temperatures, despite some participants reporting thermal discomfort at the higher temperatures. Our findings support the Maximum Adaptability Model – aka extended-U model – which claims that human performance remains relatively stable over a wide range of thermal conditions typically found indoors. Given the consistent performance within the typical temperature range for tropical office buildings and participants’ preferred and accepted 25°C the most, we caution against lowering air conditioning set points below this level as it may lead to unnecessary cooling. We shared the database and code, to ensure our research data is openly available and our methodology can be used in other climates to reproduce our results.

Psychological Effects of a Living Wall System on Office Occupants: A Comparative Study Based on Physiological Responses

A Living wall system (LWS) is a biophilic design element that has been introduced into indoor environments in recent years. Previous studies have demonstrated that the LWS improves indoor visual comfort and air quality. However, studies on its psychological effects on occupants are still scarce. In this paper, the psychological effects were investigated by recording and analyzing the parameters of occupants’ physiological responses including an electroencephalogram (EEG) and heart rate variability (HRV). A cross-over experiment was conducted among 43 participants under three different desk work environments based on various materials involving an LWS, a fake LWS, and a bare white wall. The results conclude that LWSs effectively reduce the accumulation speed of negative psychological states caused by desk work to about 1/3, compared with a regular office environment without an LWS. However, occupants tend to be less excited and focused after resting in the LWS environment. Therefore, it is recommended to place LWSs in the rest area rather than close to the desk area in an office building, considering the balance between mental health and work efficiency.

Education and Early Detection of Diabetes Mellitus Risk in North Jakarta Office Environment

A low level of knowledge related to the causative factors, signs and symptoms, dangers, prevention, and treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM) causes an increasing number of DM sufferers worldwide, including in Indonesia. This community service activity aims to increase public knowledge, especially in the office environment, about DM disease and conduct early detection of DM. Participants in the community service activities consisted of 90 employees of an Accountant's office in North Jakarta. The community service activities included education about DM disease, tests of blood sugar, and question-and-answer discussions about DM. The results showed an increase in knowledge by 20.3% based on the score obtained from the pretest compared to the posttest. Based on the blood sugar test results, 98.9% of participants had blood sugar levels within normal limits, 1.1% were below average (hypoglycemia), and 1.1% were at risk of DM. This activity concludes that educational activities can increase participants' knowledge about DM disease, so it is hoped that the community can implement a healthy lifestyle to prevent DM disease and reduce the number of DM sufferers.

PELATIHAN ALAT PEMADAM API RINGAN DAN KARUNG GONI SEBAGAI MEDIA PEMADAMAN KEBAKARAN KEPADA MAHASISWA POLIBATAM, SISWA DAN GURU SMK DI BATAM

Fire disaster is one of the many disasters that occur in the wider community both in the office and residential environment. This fire disaster generally occurs due to human factors such as: using electrical loads that exceed the power capacity and placing flammable items near the source of fire. This fire hazard will be easier to overcome if people know how to put out fires properly and know how to use extinguishers such as APAR (Light Fire Extinguisher) and the use of gunny sacks. APAR is generally categorized into 3 types, namely: Dry Chemical Extinguisher, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Extinguisher, and Foam. Extinguishers containing dry chemical powder are very commonly used because they are able to extinguish almost all types of fires. The use of APAR is most likely to be used because of its portable nature, easy maintenance, and easy to use. In the community service that has been carried out at Batam State Polytechnic, a demonstration on how to extinguish fire with fire extinguisher and the use of gunny sacks was also carried out. Participants of this community service program are students, vocational school students and vocational school teachers.

Facilitating Hotdesking in a Hybrid Office Environment: Lessons from the Hotdesking Experiences of Workers in a Malaysian GLC

In recent years, the dynamic evolution of work arrangements has prompted organisations to adopt hybrid office environments, where remote work and on-site presence harmonise. Within this context, hotdesking has emerged as a flexible solution for optimising workspace utilisation and fostering collaboration. This research explores the experiences of workers within a prominent Malaysian Government-Linked Company (GLC). The qualitative research presented herein aligns with three pivotal research objectives, collectively contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the hotdesking landscape within the Malaysian GLC context. This research captures the essence of how workers navigate different types of non-territorial activities that are associated with hotdesking. Through illuminating direct and participant observation as well as semi-structured walking interviews that were conducted between July and August of 2023, the study unveiled three types of work activities and six types of non-territorial work settings within the organisation. The aims revolves around an exploration of the underlying themes that define the hotdesking experiences of workers at the study site. This thematic analysis provides insides into how different underlying themes are shaping up based on the evolving spatial and social dynamics of the hybrid office. The findings demonstrate the crucial role of the physical workspace, the adaptive strategies employed by workers, and the multifarious factors contributing to their satisfaction levels. These insights provide valuable guidance to organisations seeking to cultivate effective and satisfying hybrid office environments. This research provides a holistic view of the intricate world of hotdesking, anchored in the experiences of workers within a Malaysian GLC. By addressing the research aims, it extends the understanding of hotdesking dynamics, contributing empirically derived insights that enrich the discourse on modern workspace strategies.

Safety and Efficacy of Photocatalytic Micro-Mist Desktop Humidifier for Dry Eye Caused by Digital Environment: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background/Objectives: Modern life is inconceivable without visual display terminal (VDT) work, including smartphones, computers, and games for both children and adults. VDT work under air conditioning and low humidity poses a high risk of dry eye and digital eye strain. Methods: Thirty-one participants were randomly divided into two groups using a desktop humidifier with photocatalytic technology, namely the "with mist" (humidifier) group and "without mist" (control) group. Participants performed VDT tasks using the humidifier with or without mist for 1 h. Ocular subjective symptoms and objective tear film parameters were assessed before, immediately after, and 1.5 h after the VDT task with or without mist. (Registry ID: UMIN000054379) Results: Ocular symptom scores improved significantly in the humidifier group immediately after the VDT task and up to 1.5 h later compared to before the task (p < 0.001, =0.006, respectively). Immediately after the VDT task, tear meniscus height was significantly higher and non-invasive breakup time was significantly longer in the humidifier group than in the control group (p < 0.001, =0.040, respectively). Plugging of the meibomian gland orifices was significantly reduced only in the humidifier group immediately after the VDT task compared to before the VDT task and remained significantly reduced up to 1.5 h later (p = 0.004, 0.016, respectively). Conclusions: The use of the photocatalytic desktop humidifier during VDT task resulted in significant improvements in the tear film parameters and subjective symptoms. The photocatalytic desktop humidifier could be effective in alleviating dry eye and eye strain in computer users in a modern office environment.

Development and Assessment of a Post-Occupancy Evaluation Scale for Sustainable Office Environments

This study explores the relationship between users and the built environment through a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) conducted at the FNN Sustainability Centre, a noteworthy sustainable building in the region. The study involved a comprehensive approach, encompassing site visits, managerial interviews, and staff surveys. To establish a robust evaluation framework, a scale was developed by analyzing pertinent literature, and indicators were identified to gauge various aspects of the building's performance. Throughout the scale development process, the SPSS data analysis program was used, and expert opinions were solicited to ensure a rigorous and comprehensive methodology. Evaluation categories included lighting, acoustics, climatic comfort and indoor air quality, use and comfort of systems, quality of space and perception, awareness of sustainability and productivity. The building emerged as a physically and psychologically conducive workplace that heightened employee awareness of sustainability. The study identified specific concerns, such as noise disturbance for open-office workers and glare-related issues, which serve as valuable feedback for potential adjustments.

Thermoregulatory differences in sex and time-of-day within naturally ventilated office environments

Thermal comfort research lacks continuous data collection on thermoregulation and adaptive behavior in real-world environments. This paper presents the findings of a field study that aimed at understanding the temporal and individual differences between humans’ thermoregulation and adaptation within a dynamic thermal environment. The dataset contains a 6-week long summer field study of 2022 observing nine participants in a naturally ventilated office without a cooling system. The data collection comprises a total of 43 measurement days (22,776 data points at 60s frequency). The results indicate that the overall trend in clothing insulation deviates from standard assumptions (0.5 clo), especially above air temperatures of 26 °C. The mean clothing insulation was 0.29 clo ±0.08, overall ranging from 0.20 to 0.73 clo. The data showed significant sex differences in tonic levels of electrodermal activity, the low-frequency to high-frequency heart rate variability ratio, and clothing insulation. Other heart rate variability data, like the root mean square of successive differences and beats per minute, as well as the distal skin temperature of the wrist, show significant sex differences and time-of-day variations in morning-to-afternoon comparisons. The findings indicate a nuanced relationship between air temperature and thermoregulatory responses, highlighting the need for future research with larger, more diverse participant cohorts and enhanced environmental monitoring to strengthen the validity and generalizability of the findings.

Pengujian Ergonomi Berdasarkan SNI 9011:2021 dan ROSA Serta Evaluasi Lingkungan Kerja Perkantoran Berdasarkan Peraturan Menteri Kesehatan Nomor 48 Tahun 2016 di Fakultas Teknik Unsoed

Office environments, as one of workplace, are inherently associated with potential occupational hazards that may impact the health and safety of individuals within them. According to the Ministry of Health of Indonesia Regulation No. 48 of 2016, office spaces are required to meet specific physical conditions, taking into aspects such as lighting, noise levels, air temperature, and humidity within the work environment. Various issues have been identified at the Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, such as malfunctioning some of air condition units, inadequate lighting, noise pollution from vehicular traffic, and complaints regarding workers' postures. Office workers are susceptible to ergonomic risks, particularly musculoskeletal disorders due to work activities (GOTRAK). This research aims to evaluate the compliance with the Ministry of Health of Indonesia Regulation No. 48 of 2016 by assessing the work environment and adhering to the standards outlined in SNI 9011:2021, which pertains to the Measurement and Evaluation of Potential Ergonomic Hazards in the Workplace. To strengthen the data and ensure the identification of potential ergonomic hazards in office settings, ergonomic assessment methods such as the Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA) can be employed. The objective of this study is to measure physical environmental parameters such as lighting intensity, noise levels, and air temperature, identify GOTRAK-related complaints based on SNI 9011:2021, and provide recommendations for improvements in accordance with the Ministry of Health of Indonesia Regulation No. 48 of 2016 and SNI 9011:2021.

Parametric Design of Office Furniture Partition Space Integrated with the Interactive Evolution Algorithm of FNT and Tree Structure

Office furniture and its spatial layout design are playing an increasingly important role in improving work efficiency and employee comfort. However, the technology still faces some challenges. For instance, accurately simulating and evaluating the behavior and feelings of people in the office environment is difficult due to the high complexity of furniture spacing space design. It is important to address these issues. The study aims to explore the key technology and practical application of the parametric design of office furniture partition space based on the interactive evolution algorithm of tree structure. This paper proposes an improved version of the flexible neural tree model and corresponding algorithm. It also presents a design method based on the interactive differential evolution algorithm to optimize the automatic balance effect between global exploration and local development in the average shortening of the difference vector based on individual distribution. The results showed that all indexes were larger than or equal to other algorithms on 46 datasets. According to the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, the P-value was all less than 0.05, which is a significant advantage. Median, mean, and quartiles indicated that the overall performance of the algorithm was higher than the others. Furthermore, similarity evaluation-based Flexible Neural Tree algorithm had no outliers in the selected dataset, which also indicates the stability of the performance. The research results will support innovation and development in the field of office furniture design. This will promote intelligence, efficiency, and personalization in the design process, and meet the diverse needs of modern office environments.

Evaluation of Synchronous Use of Portable Personal Comfort and Environment Conditioning Systems in Real Office Occupancy Conditions

Personal Comfort Systems (PCSs) have emerged as an innovative solution to address variable individual conditions that traditional comfort models excluded. This study investigates the impact of the simultaneous application and use of three PCSs in real office environments on an occupant’s thermal, light, and air quality perception and seeks to understand different environmental stimuli behind personal actions and behaviors. It uses qualitative and quantitative monitoring of specific environmental conditions and individual actions of 72 participants in four office buildings in different climatic zones of Chile in summer and winter. The PCSs tested differ in their costs, technological level, usability, and portability. The results show that 85.5% improved their perceived comfort by using the PCSs, although not from simultaneous use, but rather from the use of one system over another. The desk fan stands out as having the highest acceptance and utilization rate. However, certain environmental conditions cause opposite actions: limited lighting control or little daylight causes the fan to be turned on. The present study’s data could contribute to a new environmental comfort model for shared office spaces, fostering significant improvements in occupant satisfaction and energy efficiency. This practical and scientific research is of interest to architects, designers, and stakeholders from the construction production field.