Improving Occupant Behavior Understanding And Environmental Awareness In Smart Buildings

Abstract

This thesis explores the integration of sensor technologies and user-centered design to improve building environments, with a focus on enhancing resource efficiency, occupant satisfaction, and sustainable operations. While the study's experimental component was conducted in educational buildings, the findings and insights contribute broadly to various building types. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining sensor data analysis with qualitative insights from workshops and interviews to understand occupant behavior and space utilization. In the context of a newly constructed university building, sensor technology, supported by the SpaceSense toolkit, captured patterns of space usage and environmental conditions, while interactions with students and facility managers revealed preferences and operational needs. Follow-up interviews with facility managers further highlighted the effectiveness of sensor-based solutions in improving facility management and occupant well-being. A key innovation in this study is the EcoCube device, designed to bridge communication gaps between building occupants and facility managers. The EcoCube enables users to report issues, provide feedback, and engage in building management processes, fostering a collaborative approach. The findings reveal variations in satisfaction across different spaces and underscore the importance of adaptable, user-centered solutions to meet diverse needs. By integrating real-time environmental monitoring, occupancy data, and direct feedback mechanisms, this thesis demonstrates the potential of combining sensor technology with user-centered design to create responsive and sustainable building environments. Recommendations include refining communication channels, leveraging occupancy data for real-time decision-making, and advancing collaborative building management to support sustainable and user-friendly operations. Future work includes expanding environmental metrics to address a wider range of building types, refining communication technologies like the EcoCube for broader adoption, and employing advanced predictive analytics to enhance proactive facility management strategies.