This international research collaboration, involving UK and Middle Eastern universities, investigated the critical interplay between green building design, occupant well-being, and the challenging Middle Eastern climate. The project's findings, disseminated through multiple peer-reviewed papers, have achieved significant citations.
Traditional cost-driven construction often undermines occupant health and comfort, emphasising the necessity for a shift towards human-centric, environmentally responsible design. In the Middle East, there is an urgent need for sustainable building practices amidst rapid urbanisation and extreme weather conditions.
This research project pursued three core objectives: quantifying the impact of green building strategies on Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), including temperature, air quality, and natural light; establishing the correlation between IEQ and occupant health, encompassing comfort, productivity, and Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) symptoms; and formulating region-specific green building design recommendations that prioritise occupant well-being and minimise environmental impact.
A mixed-methods approach integrating technological innovation and robust data collection underpinned the research. A novel, portable IEQ monitoring lab based on Raspberry Pi sensor technology was developed to assess the indoor temperature, humidity, CO2, VOCs, and light levels. This accessible tool, recognised for its innovation with a Santander Technology Fund award in 2019, empowers homeowners, researchers, and students by allowing them to monitor and analyse their own environments on the go. Complementing this technological approach, a standardised questionnaire surveyed 1,101 occupants across four Middle Eastern countries (Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia), capturing thermal comfort, perceived health, well-being, and productivity data.
The results demonstrate a compelling case for green building design. A 15% improvement in thermal comfort was observed in green-certified buildings compared to non-green buildings, with 85% of occupants reporting thermal satisfaction. Furthermore, the frequency of reported SBS symptoms decreased by 17.8% in green buildings. Crucially, the study revealed a disconnect between building standards and occupant experience in non-green buildings. While indoor conditions met recommended standards 58% of the time, only 40% of occupants found these conditions acceptable. Significant overcooling during summer months, reported by 39% of occupants, led to a projected 13-20% increase in annual cooling energy demand.
These findings highlight the multifaceted benefits of green buildings, extending beyond occupant well-being to reduced energy consumption, improved public health, and enhanced climate resilience. This research lays a foundation for future work, such as developing regional green building guidelines and exploring innovative technologies to optimise building performance. Ultimately, this project contributes to a global movement towards healthier, more sustainable built environments.
