Search Results (4)

This paper aims at a broad scan of needs for knowledge advancing living labs and broader customer value co-creation in shopping malls. Special attention is given to the meeting and social integration function and metaverse development. Living labs are understood as a methodology of co-creative and open experimentation that is customer-led in a real-life environment. Emerging metaverse development tends to change opportunities and limitations, about which almost nothing is known. The paper uses a qualitative approach in two steps. The first step explores relevant theory on systems, like retail systems, customer-value co-creation (marketing) and capability and personal traits in behavioural change (individuals), while distinguishing between three living lab stages, namely, anticipation, processes on the way, and ex-post evaluation. A few central themes that are becoming increasingly important are the emerging metaverse, if and how traditional malls can continue serving as physical meeting places, and the possibility they will change course towards new combinations of physical and virtual activity. In the second step, a broad array of knowledge-advancing needs is discussed, and this results in a smaller set of knowledge gaps on the basis of urgency, like interests of new ICT stakeholders in shopping malls, impacts from metaverse on site-specificity, and benefits and barriers of disabled persons. The paper also forwards the need for more attention to the ex-post evaluation of co-creation projects, which calls for standard protocols and AI-supported data systems. The paper closes with contributions, management implications, and ideas about future research. Full article

Carbon-neutral architectural design focuses on rationally utilizing the building’s surroundings to reduce its environmental impact. Resilient ventilation systems, developed according to the thermal comfort requirements of building energy-saving research, have few applications. We studied the Jin-an Shopping Mall in Harbin and established the middle point height (h), middle point horizontal location (d), roof angle (α), and exposure to floor ratio (k) as the morphological parameters of the atrium. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the mean radiant temperature (MRT), and the universal thermal climate index calculations (UTCI), this program was set to switch off air conditioning when the resilient ventilation met the thermal comfort requirement to achieve energy savings. The energy-saving efficiency (U) was calculated based on the energy consumption of the original model, and U could reach 7.34–9.64% according to the simulation and prediction. This study provides methods and a theoretical basis for renovating other commercial complexes to improve comfort and control energy consumption. Full article

One of the most energy-intensive types of buildings is commercial. Several works investigated the optimizations of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems for achieving thermal comfort and indoor air quality. On the other hand, lighting systems play also a crucial role in minimizing energy consumption rates in a shopping mall and increasing its sustainability. Despite the relevant scientific research in the literature, to the best of our knowledge, there is no study that analyzes the impact of HVAC systems with and without the free-cooling option applied to a commercial building combined with lighting solutions. The combination of HVAC systems with free cooling and lighting retrofit strategies defines four energy scenarios, where the most efficient one is detected. The results show that the use of advanced technologies in lighting control systems has a double benefit: direct savings due to the better performance of the lighting fixtures and indirect savings due to the reduction in the thermal load with a consequent reduction in consumption levels for air conditioning. Additionally, a reduction of 51.7% in lighting consumption levels generated a 17.4% reduction in air conditioning levels. A total reduction in energy consumption rate of 33% was achieved. Since the lighting strategy demonstrates a relevant impact on reducing the global energy consumption of the shopping mall, a feasibility analysis is also presented. Full article

Employees work long hours in an environment where the ambient air quality is poor, directly affecting their work efficiency. The concentration of particulate matters (PM) produced by the interior renovation of shopping malls has not received particular attention in Macao. Therefore, this study will investigate the indoor air quality (IAQ), in particular of PM_2.5, in large-scale shopping mall renovation projects. This study collected on-site PM data with low-cost portable monitoring equipment placed temporarily at specific locations to examine whether the current control measures are appropriate and propose some improvements. Prior to this study, there were no measures being implemented, and on-site monitoring to assess the levels of PM_2.5 concentrations was non-existent. The results show the highest level of PM_2.5 recorded in this study was 559.00 μg/m³. Moreover, this study may provide a reference for decision-makers, management, construction teams, design consultant teams, and renovation teams of large-scale projects. In addition, the monitoring of IAQ can ensure a comfortable environment for employees and customers. This study concluded that the levels of PM_2.5 concentration have no correlation with the number of on-site workers, but rather were largely influenced by the processes being performed on-site. Full article