Green building benefits: Differences in perceptions and experiences across manufacturing shifts
- Pacific Northwest National Lab., Seattle, WA (United States)
- Eco-Integrations, Inc., Richland, WA (United States)
Are green buildings good for occupants? This is the central question addressed in a study, funded by the US Dept. of Energy (Office of Building, Technology, State, and Community Programs), to develop a protocol for assessing the ancillary benefits of green buildings. Ancillary benefits are defined as unexpected or hidden positive outcomes that accrue as a result of the green building but that are not directly related to design goals for energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. If occupant benefits of green buildings are as substantial as thought, understanding how workers perceive and experience them is an important step toward designing green facilities that are truly supportive of human performance and well-being. In this article, the authors explore differences in the perceptions and experiences of daytime and night-shift workers in a new green manufacturing facility. Particular attention is paid to the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and worker comfort. After presenting summaries of the data, they discuss the extent to which differences can be attributed to the green attributes of the building or to other potential factors, such as other design features and the nature of shift work itself.
- OSTI ID:
- 605735
- Journal Information:
- Heating, Piping and Air Conditioning, Vol. 70, Issue 2; Other Information: PBD: Feb 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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