Design process for an occupant survey system to assess satisfaction with indoor environmental quality

ABSTRACT

User satisfaction surveys play a crucial role in assessing Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). Yet, existing databases predominantly reflect data from developed countries, limiting applicability to culturally and climatically diverse regions. This study emphasizes the relevance of evaluating IEQ satisfaction in office buildings by proposing a standardized, open-access occupant survey system (OSS) for global application. User satisfaction surveys were selected as references from literature for screening and content analysis. The proposed OSS features a two-part survey that triggers detailed questions based on reported IEQ domain-related discomfort frequency. Evaluation process to ensure survey validity incorporated feedback from experts and laypersons. Additionally, a broader application was carried out with 115 office employees. Results identified prevalent issues such as acoustic and thermal discomfort, varying between open-plan and private office layouts. Participants’ responses also showed a significant link between IEQ satisfaction and time spent at the workstation. Overall, the OSS demonstrates its potential as a cost-effective instrument to provide a comprehensive IEQ diagnostic based on occupants’ perceptions. Future iterations should integrate concurrent building measurements to enhance evaluation precision and broaden the applicability of the survey tool across diverse environmental and cultural contexts.

KEYWORDS:

• Indoor environmental quality
• occupant survey system
• occupant satisfaction
• office buildings

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to all volunteers who took their time to participate in the testing processes of the OSS. Office employee application protocol was submitted and approved at the university’s research ethics board (Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa com Seres Humanos, CEPSH-UFSC) under register (Certificado de Apresentação de Apreciação Ética, CAAE) 59892022.3.0000.0121.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Coordination for the Development of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), Brazil, under [Grant 88887.644663/2021-00] and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).