Open AccessApplication of the ecological valency concept to buildings’ environmental control systems
Author(s) -
Ardeshir Mahdavi,
Helene Teufl,
Christiane Berger
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
iop conference series. materials science and engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1757-899X
pISSN - 1757-8981
DOI - 10.1088/1757-899x/609/4/042022
Subject(s) - certification , usability , affordance , architectural engineering , control (management) , computer science , quality (philosophy) , valency , environmental quality , human–computer interaction , engineering , ecology , artificial intelligence , philosophy , linguistics , epistemology , political science , law , biology
Buildings are typically equipped with a number of elements and devices (such as windows, blinds, luminaires, radiators, and fans) to control indoor environmental conditions. The availability, effectiveness, and usability of control devices and their human interfaces constitute arguably an essential aspect of built environments quality and performance. We refer to this aspect as buildings’ indoor-environmentally relevant “ecological valency” (EV) or the “affordance”. It can be interpreted as a descriptor of buildings’ responsiveness toward inhabitants’ needs and requirements. Despite its critical importance, there is currently a lack of systematic evaluation or certifications procedures for objective characterization of indoor environments’ EV as related to the availability and effectiveness of control devices and their human interfaces. The present contribution explores thus the potential for designing and implementing formal procedures toward measurement and certification of indoor environments’ EV.