It is vitally important to estimate the visibility of all visual targets in real environments in order to maintain a visual safety especially for low-vision people. As luminance images of real lit environments are relatively easily obtained, it is reasonable to attempt to establish a method to estimate visibility of objects using luminance images.
 Authors have proposed C-A graph based on contrast profile method. C-A graph presents C-value (luminance contrast) and A-value (adaptation luminance) as vertical and horizontal axes for varying object sizes respectively. It expresses the three factors necessary for visibility estimation. In the previous study, a visibility threshold estimation model of circular objects applicable for greater range of object size from 1.25 to 600 minutes was obtained.
 In this study, two visibility evaluation experiments using circular objects as visual target was conducted to develop this visibility estimation method for low-vision people. One experiment was evaluated by sighted people with normal visual acuity, and the other experiment was evaluated by sighted people with lower visual acuity than normal. Circular objects with varying luminance contrast, background luminance and object size, were displayed on 27 inch digital display screen. Subjects observed circular objects displayed on uniform-luminance background with both eyes from 625 or 2500 mm distance. Subjects observed circular objects and evaluated visibility of circular objects using 5-step scale of ‘0’ to ‘4’. ‘0’ is invisible, ‘1’ is visible with considerable effort, ‘2’ is visible with effort, ‘3’ is visible effortlessly, and ‘4’ is easily visible. 14 subjects with normal visual acuity and 20 subjects with low visual acuity were participated in experiments.
 Experimental results analyzed using contrast profile method and presented on C-A graph. When visibility threshold curve obtained from the previous study was shown in the same C-A graph, the visibility threshold curve fit between evaluation '0' and evaluation '1'. As the result, it was referring to the Blackwell's visibility level, and shown that visibility evaluation of sighted people with normal visual acuity can be estimated by the ratio of the visibility threshold luminance contrast value. As the size of the visual targets became smaller, the threshold ratio necessary for improvement for visibility became greater. In the case of sighted people with lower visual acuity, it was confirmed that visibility threshold contrast values can be estimated by the same method of sighted people with normal visual acuity. However, it was shown that higher threshold ratio than that of people with normal visual acuity is required to improve the evaluation of visibility for sighted people with low visual acuity.
 In the future, it is necessary to develop into examination of the actual low vision people and to establish the estimation method for low vision people.

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 Recently, renovation of the bathrooms are often conducted, since it is known that the impression of the bathroom may affect the impression of the whole facility. Cleanliness may be the most important factor, yet most bathrooms in Japan meets the requirements. Pleasantness and other impressions maybe the next factors to be considered. In that case, not only the bathroom booth, but lighting environment surrounding mirrors will be important. Previous studies on lighting environment of mirrors considers the suitable lighting patterns, color temperature and its brightness. Since brightness evaluation depends on the brightness of the target as well as the ratio of the surrounding brightness, surrounding environment has to be considered as well. Therefore, this research aims to find out first the present circumstances of the lighting environment around mirrors in public and commercial facilities. In addition, experiment using adjustment method was conducted to find the suitable brightness surrounding mirror.
 In order to grasp the present situation, lighting survey and evaluation was done in public and commercial facilities. 9 train station bathrooms varying in used years were selected as public facilities. 2 commercial buildings varying in age were selected, and in total 20 different interior bathrooms were evaluated. Items of the survey were lighting methods being used, number of mirrors, and its distance till the back wall. In addition to lighting environment survey, 16 subjects were asked to evaluate 6 items of 7 rating semantic differential method evaluation. Corresponding with evaluation, illuminance values and luminance distribution were measured. As a result, brightness had correlation with the vertical illuminance, yet pleasantness did not. The lighting methods were mostly using down light and adding indirect light surrounding mirror, yet distance till the back wall varied from 1.2 meters to almost 8 meters, creating various lighting environment. Based on the hypothesis that background brightness influencing the evaluation, controlled experiment was conducted.
 In a white experimental room, general lighting that brightens the back wall and mirror lighting that brightens the face were set. Lighting the general light in 4 different patterns (0, 100, 300, 900 cd/m²) and 2 different mirror (full-length and half-length) were created as experimental settings. 20 subjects were asked to adjust the power of the mirror lighting until the suitable brightness (lower, optimal, and upper). As a result, facial luminance and luminance ratio were not constant, and it varied by the background luminance. Generally, brighter the background brightness, brighter the facial brightness as well. Optimal range using various lighting indexes were derived using logistic regression analysis. In addition, the mirror light of the pattern without general lighting was adjusted brighter than the pattern with general lighting lit a little. This showed that there may be an optimal background lighting that has dimmest facial luminance. As a result of the analysis, facial luminance and the background luminance could be expressed as a plane using the power of 2 lighting equipment used. Using linear algebra, powers of 2 lighting equipment that forms dimmest facial luminance were derived. Then background luminance and luminance ratio at that point was calculated. Both full- length and half- length patterns had dimmest around background luminance of little over 200 cd/m² and facial luminance of around 60cd/m².
 For further study, more factors that effects the pleasantness of the mirror usage has to be considered.

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 Endotoxin (ET) is the outer membrane component of gram-negative bacteria and secreted by destruction of bacterial cell. It is ubiquitous in living environment and elicits strong immune responses such as inflammation, fever, septic shock etc. when get into the blood. It also known as lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and lipoglycans, has been ascribed as allergen on the hygiene hypothesis.
 Since most of the eubacteria are gram-negative and ET is also the specific substance produced from gram-negative bacteria, it is reasonable premise that ET concentration can serve as a representative index to bacterial pollution.

 The aim of this study is to prove the benefit of measuring ET as a substitute for the traditional cultural method to investigate the bacterial pollution in indoor air.

 The followings were reported in this article.
 1) Interference tests to gelatinization of lysate reagent in order to select the air sampling filter and preservation method
 2) Field survey results on airborne ET and bacteria concentrations in indoor air at office buildings and elderly facilities
 3) Correlation analysis between ET and bacteria concentration

 As a result, it was obvious that ET concentration tended to be high in elderly facilities than in offices, and the same tendency was not observed from airborne bacterial concentrations measured with the cultural method. In elderly facilities, there were several rooms that indicated evidently higher ET concentrations and a few of them observed repeatedly in the winter seemed to be associated with domestic humidifiers and/or a drop in ventilation amount.
 I/O ratios of bacterial concentrations in offices differed significantly with those of ET as “I/O ratio≧1” was observed more frequently, while were not marked by a difference in elderly facilities. Numerical values of I/O ratios of ET concentrations had a tendency to fall behind those of bacterial concentrations.
 “Outdoor air” of elderly facilities and “indoor air” of offices revealed the moderate correlation between ET and bacterial concentrations. Meanwhile, the correlation between the two methods was derived from all data of elderly facilities. For whole values measured, however, the moderate correlation was found only in outdoor air. Though the moderate correlations could be obtained partially between ET and bacterial concentrations, the definite correlation could not be obtained as a whole in all the measurement results.
 Determination method of ET has a high performance and reliability in terms of quantitative accuracy and reproducibility. Even if there are several limitations to be resolved, determining ET might be useful to investigate the bacterial contamination from the viewpoint of practical use in field survey and analysis convenience.

 Further studies should be also performed to comprehensively understand the correlation between airborne ET and bacterial concentrations, and one example for possible consideration might be a genetic sequencing method.

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 In recent years, environmental measures to cope with global warming problems are required in all fields. Desiccant air conditioning is one of the technologies for saving energy in the architectural field. This study focused on desiccant air conditioning to improve dehumidifying and energy saving performance by devising a new method of regenerating a dehumidifying element. We called the method “energization-regeneration,” which regenerates a dehumidifying element using a conductive desiccant material by joule heating. Achieving energization-regeneration requires the use of a material having both hygroscopicity and conductivity. We adopted PEDOT/PSS, poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene: PEDOT) doped with poly (4-styrenesulfonate: PSS), fulfilling such requirements.
 The chapter 2 describes the hygroscopicity of PEDOT/PSS evaluated through steam adsorption isotherms whose curves show the steam amount of adsorption measured at some relative pressure points under isothermal condition. The maximum adsorption amount and the structure of desiccant materials such as pore shapes can be assessed from the adsorption isotherms curves. Our measurement results showed that the maximum adsorption amount of PEDOT/PSS was higher than that of conventional desiccant materials (zeolite and high performance inorganic material). Moreover, PEDOT/PSS presented sufficient changes of adsorption amount to relative pressure in any relative pressure area than the other materials, suggesting that desiccant air conditioning using PEDOT/PSS is capable of rapidly performing dehumidification and regeneration. Here the adsorption isotherm evaluates the adsorbability under a steady-state; however, desiccant materials are under an unsteady-state in actual desiccant air conditioning operations. We thus conducted experiments assuming an unsteady-state.
 The chapter 3 describes the performance of energization-regeneration type desiccant air conditioning evaluated by experiments. A total of 19 experimental cases were categorized into 4 groups (CASE A to D). CASE A is where the energization quantity is changed, CASE B where the structure of dehumidifying elements is changed, CASE C where the operation of desiccant air conditioning is changed, and CASE D where the regeneration temperature (regeneration by a conventional method) is changed. In CASE A, the dehumidification amount increased with the increase of energization quantity. In CASE B, the dehumidification amount increased with the expansion of the surface area of the desiccant material. In CASE C, the dehumidifying performance of hybrid regeneration method (combined use of the energization and conventional types) was higher than that of other cases, but the energy utilization performance was lower than that of the energization only type.
 The chapter 4 describes our simulations based on previous studies. We added an enegization-regeneration term to a heat balance formula to incorporate the effect of energization-regeneration and compared the simulations and experiments. Obtained results of outlet air humidity were almost idential between the experiments and simulations. We then investigated the effect of cell density which represents contact surface area. The dehumidification amount increased when the cell density was increased while the other conditions including input energy were constant. Finally, we compared energization-regeneration with the conventional method of regeneration in the simulation by changing the input energy while the other conditions were constant. The dehumidification amount of energization-regeneration was greater than that of the conventional method of regeneration though the input energy was the same. The present study shows the possibility that the performance of desiccant air conditioning could surely be improved if a dehumidifying element having high cell density can be manufactured with the use of PEDOT/PSS.

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 In the case of cooling by a split type air conditioner, there is a problem that indoor humidity and latent heat become inaccurate because the conventional method of calculating the efficiency of an air conditioner cannot evaluate the latent heat and sensible heat individually. And in recent years, the evaluation method of energy conservation standards is developing into comfort based criteria which consider temperature distribution and radiation environment in a room from the criteria which regard indoor temperature and humidity as uniform.
 That is, the accurate calculation of the amount of dehumidification is necessary to evaluate heat load and indoor humidity, and is a technique necessary to cope with energy conservation evaluation based on thermal comfort in the future.
 In order to calculate the amount of dehumidification, it is necessary to estimate the surface temperature of the evaporation coil. Also, it is required to calculate the amount of dehumidification using specifications like the coil efficiency or supply air volume to evaluate individual air conditioner. We solved this problem by calculating the heat transfer coil as a single panel. Details of the calculation method are given in Chapter 2.
 When we consider the evaluation method of heat pump unit which is used for heating/cooling and hot water supply, it is possible to unify the evaluation method with reference to the refrigeration cycle. In present energy conservation standards, evaluation methods are prepared for each type of heat pump unit, but studies to unify the evaluation have been started. In this study, we propose a new COP calculation method which is taking progress of evaluation method mentioned above into consideration.
 On the other hand, in the ducted air conditioning, the supply air volume varies depending on the duct design. In the conventional method, the COP of individual model does not change corresponding to the supply air volume. The method proposed in this study can evaluate COP change due to air volume. Details of the calculation procedure are given in Chapter3.

 The feature of the evaluation method proposed in this paper is that,
 1. The amount of dehumidification by a split type air conditioner can be calculated.
 2. Evaluation is carried out according to the theoretical calculation of refrigeration cycle and COP can be calculated with all conditions of supply air volume, indoor/outdoor temperature and humidity, heat load.

 In this paper, we mainly show the method to calculate compressor COP in cooling. In order to calculate system COP, it is necessary to recalculate COP using actual airflow volume which varies with a duct design. In the following paper, we will describe the calculation method of COP based on actual air volume and fan power, and verification results of calculation method accuracy.

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 In recent years, the actual cooling load of underground stations has been much lower than the cooling load estimated while designing the stations thirty years ago. This is because several conditions related to cooling load have changed. The most significant change is the reduction of train weight and the improvement of train system efficiency, such as power regenerative braking and car cooling systems. As a result of these changes, the heat generated from trains has decreased. Another change is the rise of the underground water level in urban areas of Japan, which affects underground temperature. When the renewal designs of underground stations are considered, it is important to precisely estimate the actual cooling load. The effect of train wind on cooling load is significant. In order to estimate the cooling load taking train wind into account, the volume of train wind and the tunnel air temperature are required.
 In a previous paper, the volume of train wind was discussed. A train was modeled as a moving body in a CFD simulation, to simulate train wind. The CFD simulation could reproduce the measured results when the pressure loss coefficient in the tunnel was identified to compare the train wind of three stations. The CFD simulation results for five stations showed that air volume of the train wind was greatly affected by the train speed and the tunnel structure.
 In this paper, the measured air temperature and humidity of eight tunnels over two years is presented and studied. The characteristics of the measured data are as follows:
 1) The diurnal range of tunnel air temperature is smaller than that of the outside air temperature.
 2) The daily mean humidity ratio in tunnels is almost same as the local meteorological data.
 3) The annual average temperature in tunnels is higher than the local outside temperature because of heat emission from trains. This difference is correlated to the length of the tunnels.
 4) Tunnel air temperature is delayed by approximately 15 days compared to the outside one because of the thermal capacity of the station structure.
 Then, the simple estimation formula Eq. 1 is proposed to predict the tunnel air temperature based on the local outside temperature data, using several parameters.
 T_r(t) = (T_oa + a) + {T_ox(t - t_d) - T_oa}·b  Eq. 1
 T_r(t): Tunnel air temperature [°C]
 T_oa: Annual average outside air temperature [°C]
 a: Parameter related to the annual average temperature difference between the tunnel and outside [°C]
 t: Number of day(s) counted from the beginning of year[day]
 t_d: Time delay [day], T_ox(t): Daily average outside temperature[°C]
 b: Parameter related to the ratio of the annual temperature range between outside and the tunnel
 This paper also shows that the parameters of the formula can be derived from the length of tunnels. The predicted tunnel air temperature is compared with the measured ones and the prediction accuracy is confirmed.

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 The severe damage caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 highlighted the shortcomings in disaster reduction. Therefore, the concept of resilience has drawn much attention to reduce damage and to achieve restoration of services in addition to preventing damage; thus, new policy guidelines in various fields have been published.
 To improve residence resiliency, it is important not only to prepare for physical needs, but to understand the risks during disasters, to take appropriate action, and to make homes safe to avoid injuries and accidents in everyday life. However, the actual extent to which residents have made these preparations is not properly understood. Factors affecting residence resiliency is unclear, and it is necessary to clarify this and to consider measures to promote resident preparation.
 In this research, we conducted a questionnaire survey on residents’ disaster preparation and awareness to evaluate residence resiliency and analyze the factors affecting residence resiliency. The questionnaire survey results show that the higher the household income and the higher the age of the resident, the higher the residence resiliency. Residents living in areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake showed a relatively high resilience. In addition, factor analysis was conducted, and we extracted elements describing residence resiliency. Eight factors were extracted from questionnaires on resilience, and the factors were classified as “Risk understand 1”, “Risk understand 2”, “Life continuity”, “Action plan”, “Links with region”, “Equipment preparation”, “Daily safety”, and “Information”. Evaluating the resilience for each factor indicated that the “Links with region” and “Equipment preparation” factors are inadequate, and that information is provided according to these factors.
 We analyzed the relationship between residents' awareness and residence resiliency by structural equation modeling. The results showed that concerns about primary damage and mutual help awareness affect disaster prevention awareness, and that disaster prevention awareness affects residence resiliency. Therefore, to improve residence resiliency, activities to improve mutual help awareness should be promoted and residents should be encouraged to recognize the risk of disaster and the possibility of damage. However, in the model we created, disaster prevention awareness only accounts for 26% of residence resiliency, and the effect of household income and age is large. Therefore, measures for promoting preparation among those with low income and among young people are important.

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This study investigated early background of Built Environment Education (BEE) in the U.S. and an American BEE curriculum “Architecture and Children” authored by Anne P. Taylor. Philosophies of Taylor's learning environment design and architectural design education were organized into 4 areas: Relationalism, Habitability Framework (Whole Learner), Multiple Intelligences and Deep Ecology. In her early work in 1960-70s she was influenced by land artists in the U.S. At that time land artists and art pedagogues including Taylor absorbed a lesson from environmental issues and created the new field of art, architectural design and education. Through that insight, she redefined her profession considering architectural education and developed the new form of interdisciplinary art education.

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