Lighting systems and users interactions in classrooms and laboratory rooms

Syracuse, NY

In Brazil, there has been an increase in the use of certifications designed to assess and improve building performance. Despite these advances, there is still little knowledge concerning the buildings’ post-occupancy. Thus, the present work aimed to evaluate the occupants’ behaviour regarding the use of lighting and internal shading devices. Classrooms and laboratories at UFMG Architecture and Design School were used as case study. The main objective was to analyse how a cycle of influences works: how occupants influence energy consumption and act in relation to the buildings systems, as well as how the building and the internal systems influence the occupants’ behaviour. Firstly, daylighting and artificial lighting conditions of the rooms were diagnosed. As for the occupants’ behaviour analysis in loco, observations were made to evaluate barriers and potentials in the systems use. Afterwards, changes were made in the lighting circuits division, in the curtain types and informative posters were installed in the studied rooms. The results showed that there is a hierarchy in the use of classroom systems, in which professors are the main controllers and that in laboratories the systems use is well distributed among occupants. It was considered that the original evaluated systems did not meet the occupants’ expectations in general, so changes were proposed. The changes proved to be efficient once the interaction of users to the systems improved in quality and in number. This research allowed to infer that a more occupant-centered design leads to a more efficient use of spaces.

https://surface.syr.edu/ibpc/2018/HF4/5