Perceived indoor environment and occupants’ comfort in European “Modern” office buildings: The OFFICAIR Study

Indoor environmental conditions (thermal, noise, light, and indoor air quality) may affect workers\u2019 comfort, and consequently their health and well-being, as well as their productivity. This study aimed to assess the relations between perceived indoor environment and occupants\u2019 comfort, and to examine the modifying effects of both personal and building characteristics. Within the framework of the European project OFFICAIR, a questionnaire survey was administered to 7441 workers in 167 \u201cmodern\u201d office buildings in eight European countries (Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain). Occupants assessed indoor environmental quality (IEQ) using both crude IEQ items (satisfaction with thermal comfort, noise, light, and indoor air quality), and detailed items related to indoor environmental parameters (e.g., too hot/cold temperature, humid/dry air, noise inside/outside, natural/artificial light, odor) of their office environment. Ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the relations between perceived IEQ and occupants\u2019 comfort. The highest association with occupants\u2019 overall comfort was found for \u201cnoise\u201d, followed by \u201cair quality\u201d, \u201clight\u201d and \u201cthermal\u201d satisfaction. Analysis of detailed parameters revealed that \u201cnoise inside the buildings\u201d was highly associated with occupants\u2019 overall comfort. \u201cLayout of the offices\u201d was the next parameter highly associated with overall comfort. The relations between IEQ and comfort differed by personal characteristics (gender, age, and the Effort Reward Imbalance index), and building characteristics (office type and building\u2019s location). Workplace design should take into account both occupant and the building characteristics in order to provide healthier and more comfortable conditions to their occupants