ZEMCH 2019 International Conference Proceedings April.2020 | Page 362
some cases is to minimize the cost while architect’s objective might be building aesthetics. On another
hand, occupants are permanent stakeholders who have different priorities from design team, owner or
building operators. Comfort can be considered as occupants top priority as it affects their productivity,
health and well‐being.[16]
2.4 How important are the occupants?
Occupants play a significant role in buildings lifecycle from project planning until occupancy and
even retrofit. Occupants affect buildings design and operations in many ways: for example, assumption
about occupants during the design phase determines the size of the building, the type and size of HVAC
equipment, the fire safety measures and egress routs [3]. After the premises are occupied, occupants
are active agents who interact with buildings components and systems [4], [17]. For example, occupants
open and close windows and blinds, adjust thermostats, switch on/off lights and plug‐in different
equipment. These interaction with buildings systems and components can be driven by events of
comfort [2]. An example of event‐driven interaction is switching on lights upon arrival while an
example of comfort‐driven interaction is opening a window when feeling stuffy (see Figure 1. ).
2.5 Current state of occupant‐related data sharing among stakeholders
The introduction and the adoption of the Integrated Design Process (IDP) in the Architectural,
Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry requires an effective and holistic exchange of project
assumptions and inputs [18], [19]. However, recent studies have shown that practitioners have yet to
effectively assimilate or adopt the IDP principles [3]. For example, a recent study by Abuimara et al.
[15] included documentation of the design process of an office building in Toronto, Canada, showed
the lack of effective communication between stakeholders. For instance, the study demonstrated that
architect, energy modeller and mechanical engineers used different sets of occupant‐related
assumptions which indicates the lack of effective information exchange mechanism. In a different
context, Wang et al. [20] conducted a study of cooling loads on three university campus buildings. The
results indicated that the chillers were 50% oversized due to exaggerated occupant‐related heat gains.
This study results indicates the miscommunication between the HVAC designer and other stakeholders
who might have more accurate estimates of occupancy and occupancy patterns.
Figure 1. Uncertainty in Simulation-aided design and Occupants role in buildings
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