FEATURE
air, and by using innovative building finishes, CO2 and other pollutants can be reduced to create a healthier place for people to stay and work.
It is important that certain design targets, such as required energy efficiency and thermal comfort levels, do not adversely affect others. In particular, some new builds can compromise visual comfort, reducing window size to increase energy efficiency.
Natural light has been shown to boost occupants’ health and wellbeing in buildings. In fact, it has been proven that patients in rooms that are well
lit with natural daylight need up to 30% less pain relief than others, plus they recover faster and return home in much better spirits.
Windows should therefore be carefully sized, oriented and designed to help improve views and natural daylight while minimising glare and solar gain. This means that rooms are filled with as much natural light as possible, reducing the need for artificial light during daylight hours.
In addition, trying to sleep in shared spaces, and even in individual rooms, can be difficult when surrounded by background noise. Poor quality and
quantity of sleep has been shown to increase stress and impair immune function in patients. In fact, 40% of patients think facilities are too loud at night and in the daytime, and noisy environments have also been shown to increase staff stress levels.
To create an audibly comfortable environment, we want to amplify some sounds, such as speech, but also minimise others, such as background noise and traffic outside. This balance is achieved by the absence, or reduction, of unwanted sounds combined with adequate levels and quality of desired sounds. Controlling reverberation and increasing speech intelligibility can reduce noise levels, restoring peace and quiet.
In contrast to popular thought, building to higher performance levels does not need to cost more, particularly when cost strategies, programme management and building programme strategies are integrated into the development process right from the start.
Upfront material cost in higher performing buildings can be offset by a decrease in long-term lifecycle costs, particularly in the case of buildings that feature energy efficient building systems, as is the case with the Multi-Comfort concept. By providing buildings with the lowest primary energy demand, running costs can be greatly reduced, such as heating and water bills, alongside lower maintenance costs.
Yet the most important point to remember is that the five primary comforts of thermal, visual, audio, indoor air, and economic comfort are all closely inter-linked, which is why the Multi-Comfort standard adopts a holistic approach to building and design, in order to achieve optimum user comfort in any type of building.
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