In this study, we conducted subject experiments to determine an effective biophilic design for urban offices to improve the health and comfort of workers. This experiment showed that indoor environment satisfaction, the impression of a workspace, ease of work, and self-estimated productivity were improved when subjects could see greenery through the window with a balanced amount of sunlight through the green. Additionally, cognitive function in subjects was restored during the break period of the short-term memory test, resulting in higher test scores.
In office buildings, reducing the heat load and improving the thermal comfort in the perimeter area are important issues. Airflow window (AFW) have been widely practiced in office buildings. The impact of ventilation path design in the cavity layer of AFW is discussed in this paper. In addition, a high-performance window which is applied dynamic insulation (DI) technique is developed. CFD analysis was carried out to evaluate the thermal performance of the window system. It is confirmed that the window system we developed improves the solar blocking performance and the thermal insulation performance.
In this study, we investigated the intensity and quality of odors that spread indoors using three methods with aromatics that generate odors in different ways. It was suggested that different methods of generating odors from aromatic liquid affect not only the diffusion behavior of odors in the room, but also the types and amounts of odor components in the room, which affects the odor quality perceived by humans.
In recent years, various measures against hot outdoor environment have been studied. Until now, almost all studies that compared the effects of several countermeasure techniques were aimed towards a single perspective: energy saving, suppression of effluent sensible heat or improvement of the thermal environment in pedestrian spaces. However, these aims often conflict with one another. In this study, to assess the effects of measures hot outdoor environment from three perspectives: mitigate global warming, mitigate urban heat islands, and adapt to urban warming comprehensively, a new assessment system was proposed and applied it to assess the impacts of several countermeasures.
The analysis of Sit-to-Stand (STS) movement can lead to the early detection of a decline in physical functioning. The present study clarified the differences between age groups in common STS movements of daily life. We measured the three patterns of STS movement assumed to be performed in living spaces. Principal component analysis was applied to the overall time series data. From the synthesized principal component space, principal components with significant differences between the elderly and young adults were extracted, and the movement strategies of elderly participants were revealed.