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Physiological Mechanisms of Comfort, Health, and Cognitive Performance in Built...
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Physiological Mechanisms of Comfort, Health, and Cognitive Performance in Built Environment

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Energy, Physics, Environment, and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 7257

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zhibin Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
Interests: indoor environment quality; cognitive performance; healthy buildings; biophilic design
Dr. Romina Rissetto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
Interests: thermal comfort; PECS; occupant behaviour; indoor environmental quality; building performance

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The paradigm shift from viewing the occupants as passive objects to active participants is underway. Prior knowledge of human comfort is essential for the optimal control of indoor climate; therefore, to overcome this limitation, a human-centered intelligence control loop (HCICL) has been proposed, where a HVAC system includes the occupants in the control loop. The main objective is to collect real-time subjective opinions from occupants and facilitate data-driven self-learning methods. Setpoint temperature adjustment that incorporates occupant feedback and a personal comfort system (PCS) for individual thermal comfort has already been widely investigated, but such systems have been based mostly on the feedback of users in a stable environment.

There is a close association between human comfort and human physiological responses. Skin temperature has been widely investigated and established as a thermal sensation indicator in both dynamic and stable environments. Recent studies indicate that several physiological responses, such as pulse rate and skin conductance, could be used to model thermal comfort in stable environments, thus improving the control of HVAC systems. Moreover, these physiological responses could be an effective means of measuring the cognitive performance, wellbeing, and stress caused by indoor environmental stimuli (whether they are caused by thermal, visual, air quality, or acoustic factors).

This Special Issue endeavors to advance scientific studies focusing on physiological applications in built environments, with the goal being to deepen our understanding of the existing status and limitations of physiological mechanisms in human–building interactions.

Dr. Zhibin Wu
Dr. Romina Rissetto
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • physiological responses
  • biosignals
  • human building interaction
  • indoor environment quality
  • human perception
  • cognitive performance
  • health and well-being

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 2443 KiB  
Article
The Domestic Acoustic Environment in Online Education—Part 2: Different Interference Perception of Sound Sources and While Conducting Academic Tasks
by Virginia Puyana-Romero, Angela María Díaz-Márquez, Christiam Garzón and Giuseppe Ciaburro
Buildings 2025, 15(1), 93; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15010093 - 30 Dec 2024
Viewed by 792
Abstract
Noise is increasingly recognized as a factor impacting health, including its effects on online education. However, differences in the perception of acoustic environmental factors have been scarcely analyzed. This study aimed to evaluate perceived differences in the interference of five types of sound [...] Read more.
Noise is increasingly recognized as a factor impacting health, including its effects on online education. However, differences in the perception of acoustic environmental factors have been scarcely analyzed. This study aimed to evaluate perceived differences in the interference of five types of sound (traffic, voices, TV/radio/household appliances, music, and animals) while conducting autonomous and synchronous activities during online learning. It is also aimed to identify which activities are more affected by the domestic acoustic environment among a group of 4 synchronous and 6 autonomous activities. The data were obtained from an online survey distributed online among the students of the Universidad de las Américas in Quito, Ecuador. The differences between acoustical variables were evaluated using frequentist and inferential analysis. Findings indicated that traffic noise was the least disruptive sound for autonomous activities, likely due to reduced vehicle circulation during the COVID-19 lockdown. In contrast, voices were identified as the most disturbing noise source, underscoring that background speech can significantly disrupt concentration. Additionally, domestic noise is more disturbing while taking exams than during solving problem tasks, comprehensive reading, or group work, probably because during the exams students cannot control unwanted sound sources. These outcomes underscore the need for acoustic strategies in domestic educational settings to reduce noise-related distractions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological Mechanisms of Comfort, Health, and Cognitive Performance in Built Environment)
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35 pages, 2553 KiB  
Article
The Domestic Acoustic Environment in Online Education—Part 1: Differences by Gender, Perceived Academic Quality, and Self-Rated Performance
by Virginia Puyana-Romero, Angela María Díaz-Márquez, Christiam Garzón and Giuseppe Ciaburro
Buildings 2025, 15(1), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15010084 - 30 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 752
Abstract
The domestic environment plays a critical role in online education, particularly its acoustic aspect. This study investigates whether there are differences in the perception of acoustic variables between students who perceive their academic performance as negative (G1) and those who rate it positively [...] Read more.
The domestic environment plays a critical role in online education, particularly its acoustic aspect. This study investigates whether there are differences in the perception of acoustic variables between students who perceive their academic performance as negative (G1) and those who rate it positively (G2). It also explores differences between students who assess the quality of education as positive or negative, along with gender distinctions. Data were collected through an online survey conducted by Universidad de Las Américas, Quito, Ecuador, during the COVID-19 lockdown. Statistical analyses revealed significant differences in the perception of noise between groups G1 and G2: Students who rated their academic performance negatively experienced higher noise interference from sources like voices and household appliances. Similar patterns were observed when assessing educational quality. Gender differences also emerged, with women reporting higher levels of noise interference caused by sound sources (voices, TV/Radio/household appliances, and animals), and in the development of autonomous and synchronous tasks than men. The differences between the groups evaluated in pairs suggest that these aspects should be taken into account when designing domestic spaces and strategies to improve the quality of the acoustic environment for students. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological Mechanisms of Comfort, Health, and Cognitive Performance in Built Environment)
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23 pages, 5099 KiB  
Article
Study on the Effect of Local Heating Devices on Human Thermal Comfort in Low-Temperature Built Environment
by Yalong Yang, Nana Shi, Rui Zhang, Hanxiang Zhou, Lei Ding, Jiamin Tao, Nan Zhang and Bin Cao
Buildings 2024, 14(12), 3996; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14123996 - 17 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1092
Abstract
Localized heating systems are an effective approach to improve thermal comfort while reducing energy consumption in a cold indoor environment. Furthermore, localized heating devices have found widespread application in the hot-summer and cold-winter zones of China. This study investigates the heating characteristics of [...] Read more.
Localized heating systems are an effective approach to improve thermal comfort while reducing energy consumption in a cold indoor environment. Furthermore, localized heating devices have found widespread application in the hot-summer and cold-winter zones of China. This study investigates the heating characteristics of the local heating device in a low-temperature environment, as well as its effects on subjective perception and physiological responses, and develops a personalized control system for the device based on the experimental findings. We conducted experimental tests and questionnaires in a test room with air temperature set at 12 °C and 14 °C and a relative humidity of 55%. A total of six experimental conditions were designed using five types of heating equipment (heating wrist straps, heating insoles, heating leg straps, warm air blower, electric radiant heater), each employing different heat transfer methods. The results demonstrate that the head, hands, legs, and feet are susceptible to feeling cold in a low-temperature environment, and the use of a warm air blower and electric radiant heater can significantly enhance the thermal sensation of these parts, improve thermal acceptability, and raise local skin temperature. The electrocardiogram data indicate that heart rate variability can be utilized to assess thermal sensation in a cold environment with localized heating. Additionally, the relationship between thermal response and skin temperature was investigated, leading to the development of a control strategy for the local heating device in a low-temperature conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological Mechanisms of Comfort, Health, and Cognitive Performance in Built Environment)
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33 pages, 7306 KiB  
Article
Physiological Indicators of Thermal Comfort: A Comprehensive Approach Using the Metabolic-Based Predicted Mean Vote Index
by Abdelaziz Laouadi
Buildings 2024, 14(12), 3861; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14123861 - 30 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1279
Abstract
Current thermal comfort constructs are perceptional, and their relationships to the physiological responses are not fully understood. The latter are very important, not only to indicate personal comfort perception but also to protect personal health against cold and heat stresses. This paper combined [...] Read more.
Current thermal comfort constructs are perceptional, and their relationships to the physiological responses are not fully understood. The latter are very important, not only to indicate personal comfort perception but also to protect personal health against cold and heat stresses. This paper combined a two-node bioheat model with the metabolic-based predicted mean vote index (MPMV) to uncover the relationships between the physiological responses and perceptional thermal sensation at steady-state conditions. The MPMV index accounts for sweating and non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) at the neutral comfort state and handles both core and skin cooling cases. Simulations were conducted for adults in typical indoor environment conditions. The physiological responses investigated included the body, core and mean skin temperatures, skin evaporative heat flux, shivering metabolic rate, and skin blood flow. The study revealed that only the mean skin temperature and skin blood flow can discriminate between comfort perception levels and can therefore be used alone or combined with other variables as alternative physiological indicators. The comfort range (MPMV within ±1) in terms of the mean skin temperature is maintained by regulatory sweating and/or NST and gets wider with increasing activity levels. The study also offered important insights for practical applications and future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological Mechanisms of Comfort, Health, and Cognitive Performance in Built Environment)
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23 pages, 15105 KiB  
Article
Coupled Impact of Points of Interest and Thermal Environment on Outdoor Human Behavior Using Visual Intelligence
by Shiliang Wang, Qun Zhang, Peng Gao, Chenglin Wang, Jiang An and Lan Wang
Buildings 2024, 14(9), 2978; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14092978 - 20 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 925
Abstract
Although it is well established that thermal environments significantly influence travel behavior, the synergistic effects of points of interest (POI) and thermal environments on behavior remain unclear. This study developed a vision-based outdoor evaluation model aimed at uncovering the driving factors behind human [...] Read more.
Although it is well established that thermal environments significantly influence travel behavior, the synergistic effects of points of interest (POI) and thermal environments on behavior remain unclear. This study developed a vision-based outdoor evaluation model aimed at uncovering the driving factors behind human behavior in outdoor spaces. First, Yolo v5 and questionnaires were employed to obtain crowd activity intensity and preference levels. Subsequently, target detection and clustering algorithms were used to derive variables such as POI attractiveness and POI distance, while a validated environmental simulator was utilized to simulate outdoor thermal comfort distributions across different times. Finally, multiple classification models were compared to establish the mapping relationships between POI, thermal environment variables, and crowd preferences, with SHAP analysis used to examine the contribution of each variable. The results indicate that XGBoost achieved the best predictive performance (accuracy = 0.95), with shadow proportion (|SHAP| = 0.24) and POI distance (|SHAP| = 0.12) identified as the most significant factors influencing crowd preferences. By extrapolation, this classification model can provide valuable insights for optimizing community environments and enhancing vitality in areas with similar climatic and cultural contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological Mechanisms of Comfort, Health, and Cognitive Performance in Built Environment)
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18 pages, 20597 KiB  
Article
Eye-Tracking and Psychological Analysis: The Impact of Building Shape on Visitor Visual Preference
by Xinman Wang, Baoqi Che and Rong Zhu
Buildings 2024, 14(9), 2733; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14092733 - 31 Aug 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1670
Abstract
Garden buildings not only enhance the aesthetics of gardens but also affect the visual and psychological experience of visitors. However, existing studies lack a systematic analysis of the shape types and combination patterns of buildings, which indirectly affects the overall experience of visitors. [...] Read more.
Garden buildings not only enhance the aesthetics of gardens but also affect the visual and psychological experience of visitors. However, existing studies lack a systematic analysis of the shape types and combination patterns of buildings, which indirectly affects the overall experience of visitors. This study explores the attractiveness of different forms, styles, and combinations of buildings to visitors through oculometry and psychological analysis. The results of the study show that buildings are always the main focus of visitors’ sight in the garden, and traditional buildings can stimulate visitors’ excitement and curiosity. When observed at close range, visitors’ attention to simple-shaped buildings was mainly focused on the overall shape, while details of complex-shaped buildings, such as decorations, doors, windows, and columns, can significantly attract the eye. In contrast, when viewed from a distance, simple and regular combinations of building shapes were more effective in attracting visitors’ attention, while the appeal of the historic features of complex buildings declined, possibly due to reduced clarity of detail. Visually striking elements such as buildings with acute angles or curved eaves attracted more visual attention when viewed from a distance. This study not only provides a scientific basis for the design of shapes and historical characteristics of garden buildings but also provides practical guidance for the layout and spatial remodeling of garden buildings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological Mechanisms of Comfort, Health, and Cognitive Performance in Built Environment)
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