Occupant satisfaction with indoor environmental quality: A study of the LEED-certified buildings on the Arizona state university campus

Mounir El Asmar, Abbas Chokor, Issam Srour

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

Following a recent surge in the green building movement, several universities now require the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for all their new facilities. This paper investigates the actual occupant satisfaction of LEED-certified higher education facilities through studying seven LEED-certified buildings located on the Arizona State University (ASU) campus in Tempe, Arizona. Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) occupant satisfaction surveys were used to collect data from more than 160 occupants. The surveyed LEED buildings earned, on average, a 77.6% overall satisfaction rating. The results show ASU LEED buildings performed better than the Center for the Built Environment (CBE) benchmark, which is based on 59,359 completed surveys. In addition to comparing the results with other studies, this paper highlights an inconsistency between the LEED points earned for IEQ and the actual level of occupant satisfaction. In addition, the paper showcases a need for improvement in the USGBC rating system in such a way that correlates the awarded LEED rating with the actual performance of the building during the occupation phase, as opposed to the intended performance during the design and construction stages.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationICSI 2014
Subtitle of host publicationCreating Infrastructure for a Sustainable World - Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure
EditorsChris Hendrickson, John Crittenden, Bill Wallace
PublisherAmerican Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Pages1063-1070
Number of pages8
ISBN (Electronic)9780784478745
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2014
Event2014 International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure: Creating Infrastructure for a Sustainable World, ICSI 2014 - Long Beach, United States
Duration: Nov 6 2014Nov 8 2014

Publication series

NameICSI 2014: Creating Infrastructure for a Sustainable World - Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure

Other

Other2014 International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure: Creating Infrastructure for a Sustainable World, ICSI 2014
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityLong Beach
Period11/6/1411/8/14

Keywords

  • Education
  • Indoor environmental quality
  • LEED
  • Occupant satisfaction
  • Thermal comfort

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
  • Civil and Structural Engineering
  • Management of Technology and Innovation
  • Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality

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