Drivers for adaptive behaviour in Human-Building Interaction: measuring the factors motivating room modifications for personal comfort

With the ubiquity of sensors, researchers contributing to the emerging field of Human-Building Interaction (HBI) have started incorporating embedded technologies to monitor energy conservation indoors. Automated systems to increase building performance are now more common as the algorithms to predict the characteristics of the room environment increase in accuracy. And yet, energy optimisation in buildings is still not achieved as occupants modify the environment to increase personal comfort. Although researchers have proposed alternative procedures to identify personal comfort and refine predictive algorithms, the drivers that motivate or deter a person to modify their environment are unclear. As a result, architectural science endorses energy-efficient solutions that may not fully respond to occupants’ requirements for indoor comfort. This study presents the findings of a semi-systematic literature review (n = 20) seeking to map recurrent questions and tools to investigate the role of perceived control of the environment on adaptive behaviours for comfort. First, we selected and contextualized four themes (demographic, psychographic, sensory/biometric, and situational) to structure the evidence base. Next, we highlighted methodological innovations proposed in the literature, namely the incorporation of work-related constructs, the use of biometric devices, and the implementation of participatory approaches to inform research inputs. Finally, we introduced a procedure for post-occupancy evaluation of shared environments using a mixed methods approach. In doing so, this paper contributes to the evaluation of energy and user outcomes as multifactorial outputs and broadens the understanding of the individual and social dimensions of personal comfort