Software support for office space - NRC-IRC programs for designers and product manufacturers

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Software support for office space - NRC-IRC programs for designers

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S o f t w a r e s u p p o r t f o r o f f i c e s p a c e – N R C - I R C

p r o g r a m s f o r d e s i g n e r s a n d p r o d u c t

m a n u f a c t u r e r s

N R C C - 5 0 0 3 8

M a y e r , R .

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T

he design of building interiors to meet the increasing demand for energy effi ciency, along with comfort and health considerations of occupants, has taken on a new scientifi c dimension for architects, interior designers, and building materials manufacturers. The intricate goal of creating the ideal indoor space—especially when it comes to workplaces and offi ce space—can be facilitated through software programs, such as the ones available through the National Research Council Institute for Research in Construction (NRC-IRC).

NRC-IRC carries out applied and contract research on issues of strategic importance to the Canadian construction sector. Alongside the building envelope/structure, fi re research, and urban infrastructure, the indoor environment is one of its core areas of study. Over the past decade, NRC-IRC has developed a series of software tools to enable the design/construction industry to build projects that promote a comfortable, healthy, and energy-effi cient environment. (These tools are available for free or a nominal user fee.)

NRC-IRC as a resource for designers

Much of NRC-IRC’s research emphasis is on workplaces, where poor indoor environments can be linked to lower organizational productivity and, subsequently, losses to the Canadian economy estimated in the billions. In both laboratories and actual buildings, the institute studies the key aspects of indoor environments, including:

• lighting; • acoustics; • ventilation;

• indoor air quality (IAQ);

• thermal comfort; and • energy effi ciency.

NRC-IRC takes an interdisciplinary approach that includes expertise in environmental psychology to study the effects of these elements on occupants. It collaborates with leading private-sector organizations, along with key federal organizations ranging from Health Canada and Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).

These partnerships have led to a considerable volume of data enabling NRC-IRC to develop a suite of unique software tools. The programs provide users with the capabilities to calculate sophisticated lighting, materials emissions, and acoustics impacts on indoor environments at the design stage. In essence, they transform research results into resources for architects, engineers, specifi ers, and even building material providers. Design professionals can base their choices on the most cost-effective building products available by comparing reliable performance ratings, while the software also enables manufacturers to create products achieving the higher level of performance being sought by developers, owners, and occupants. At the same time, these software programs also help facility managers operate interior spaces that maximize the comfort, productivity, health, and safety of building occupants.

Interior lighting design

When lighting research activities began at NRC-IRC in 1976, the focus was on energy-effi ciency. Since then, added emphasis has been given to lighting quality and its effects on people, especially in the workplace. Three lighting software packages are available—

76 September 2007 C o n s t r u c t i o n C a n a d a

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Software Support

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NRC-IRC programs for designers and

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C o n s t r u c t i o n C a n a d a September 2007 77

one aimed at the early design stage, and two others that are more specifi c, standalone tools requiring more advanced skills for detailed analyses of skylights and general daylighting.

DAYSIM

DAYSIM is an expert daylighting design tool that can be used to predict the annual amount of daylight in buildings of arbitrary complex shape, located anywhere in the world. Among the performance metrics calculated by DAYSIM are the daylight factor (i.e. relative amount of daylight inside a building compared to outside on a cloudy, overcast day) as well as daylight autonomy— an emerging, climate-based measurement that is the percentage of occupied hours of the year where there is suffi cient daylight in a space for the occupant to work without the need for electric lighting.

Using an ‘occupant behaviour’ model derived from a series of fi eld studies in offi ce buildings, DAYSIM further predicts the lighting energy use of commercial buildings for various lighting control systems, including occupancy sensors,

photocell-controlled dimming, and standard on/off switches.

Technically, DAYSIM uses the validated Radiance program from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) as its daylight simulation engine. Local climate is modelled using an annual climate fi le and the Perez sky model. The latter mimics the luminous distribution of the sky (i.e. how much light

comes from the different parts of the sky), based on the direct and diffuse solar radiation. DAYSIM has also been linked to the popular ECOTECT building design software, allowing users to quickly set up a building model in ECOTECT, exporting it into DAYSIM for a daylighting analysis, and re-importing them back into ECOTECT for graphical presentation.

Daylighting software can help design professionals specify proper electrical systems.

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SkyVision

This tool is ideal for those considering the inclusion of skylights in their building designs, but are concerned about whether the costs would outweigh the benefi ts. SkyVision also focuses on improving the design of current skylight products by using a reliable scientifi c approach to analyzing performance.

Developed with NRCan and PWGSC, SkyVision enables users to predict skylight performance for any given day, using different design variables under virtually any condition. It calculates the overall optical characteristics of various types of skylights, along with performance indicators of skylight/room interfaces, indoor daylight availability, and lighting energy savings (daily, monthly, and annually).

Daylight 1-2-3

Formerly called Lightswitch Wizard, Daylight 1-2-3 is a sophisticated, but easy-to-use design analysis tool. It is intended for use

by anyone making daylighting-related design decisions in commercial buildings at the initial development stages. It combines the capabilities of DAYSIM, SkyVision, and an ESP-r thermal simulation engine, enabling it to optimize the amount of natural light in a space together with its annual energy use. (Daylight is more desired by occupants than electrical illumination, and its use can also lead to substantial energy savings.)

Daylight 1-2-3 predicts the daylighting and energy performance of side-lit and top-lit private offi ces, open-plan offi ces, and classrooms. Various factors taken into account include:

• glazing type; • window blinds;

• electric lighting control system (manual, dimming, or occupancy sensor); and • skylights.

Simulations provide calculations based on climate information in virtually every country around the world.

Ventilation and indoor air quality

Concerns about adverse health effects in indoor environments have led interior designers, builders, and facility managers to seek a better understanding of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from building materials and furnishings. At certain concentrations, some VOCs may lead to IAQ problems, including so-called Sick Building Syndrome (SBS).

To address the issue of VOCs in indoor environments (in both offi ces and residential settings), NRC-IRC established a major research consortium for carrying out a comprehensive study of materials emissions. Building products representative of the Canadian market were selected and a prototype for a scientifi c, but user-friendly, tool for estimating levels of VOC concentrations in buildings under different ventilation scenarios was developed.

Called IA-QUEST, the program predicts the concentration of VOCs in ventilated spaces due to emissions from building materials and furnishings. The database provides information regarding the emissions from 69 tests of commonly used building materials, including:

• carpet and carpet underlay; • oriented strandboard (OSB); • fi breboard;

• laminated, hardwood, and vinyl fl ooring; • wallboard; and

• ceiling tile.

Emissions were measured under carefully controlled conditions (i.e. temperature, relative humidity [RH], and air exchange rates) to ensure correct and reproducible results. It was necessary to develop special testing procedures for examining VOCs emanating from solvent-based ‘wet’ building materials, such as paints, stains, caulkings, fi llers, and adhesives.

For most of the materials, the NRC-IRC method for VOCs typically involved emissions testing for a fi ve- to seven-day period. In some cases, the emission rates were measured for up to a month to allow reliable predictions. (For a pair of specimens, the testing lasted a full year.) For quality assurance, the researchers tested mockups of building constructions or even complete offi ce and workstation settings with typical furnishings and computer equipment in a 55-m3_{(1942-cf) chamber,}

where the identical indoor environment conditions can be mimicked and kept

HVAC systems can have a signifi cant effect on a building’s indoor air quality (IAQ).

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constant. This was especially crucial for further validation of certain tests for detailed assemblies of fl ooring, wall panelling, and ceiling designs.

For the analysis of VOC emissions, state-of-the-art techniques were used:

• gas chromatography, which is a method for separating complex mixtures of VOCs; • mass spectrometry (GC-MS), which is

a detection technique enabling the identifi cation and quantifi cation of individual volatile organic compounds after their separation; and

• high-performance liquid chromatography, which is a method for separating and quantifying highly volatile and reactive compounds (e.g. formaldehyde) that are diffi cult to measure using GC-MS alone. The simulation program is designed to predict indoor concentrations in a room for various design options based on material use and ventilation rates. The information provided by IA-QUEST can be used to examine the relative impact that different material choices can make on the indoor environment, and the effect of various ventilation strategies on VOC levels.

The software refl ects the fact the best way to improve IAQ is to reduce the concentrations of the volatile organic compounds by selecting low-emitting building materials and furnishings. Increasing the ventilation rate to fl ush out contaminants is costly and sometimes even ineffi cient, as often experienced in practice. With the information provided by IA-QUEST, it is also possible to effectively

apply source control to reduce ventilation needs and to diagnose problems.

Since the elements contained in building materials are constantly changing as new ones are marketed, constant updating and expansion of the database is a necessity. Consequently, NRC-IRC has invited interested groups to participate in the updating process of the database to ensure high quality and optimal use of the IA-QUEST software tool.

While IA-QUEST is designed for use at the interior design level, it is also important for the design departments of building materials manufacturers who want to ensure their product lines contribute to healthy conditions indoors. It is also a useful tool for IAQ consultants, who can use it to update their emissions test data and provide consulting service attributes to their clients. Others expected to benefit from the IA-QUEST package include building designers, renovators, and managers interested in creating low-VOC environments. The software can also be used for projects involving the refurbishment of buildings.

Design of effective open-plan offi ces

To study the challenges of designing and operating open-plan offi ces, an NRC-IRC team undertook a major consortium project. The project, called Cost-effective Open-Plan Offi ce Environment (COPE) addressed lighting, ventilation and air quality, along with acoustics, producing a signifi cant body of knowledge, recommendations, and

guidelines.1_{There were two software tools}

developed: overall multi-disciplinary design software called COPE-ODE and specialized acoustics software called COPE-Calc.

COPE-ODE

COPE-ODE (which stands for Offi ce Design Evaluator) is online software that runs directly in a Web browser. It allows the user to input the properties of the offi ce design of interest (e.g. cubicle geometry, material properties, lighting design, sound levels). It also allows input of cost data, which facilitates a cost-benefi t comparison of alternative workstation designs. Outputs include the physical measures of lighting and acoustic performance. along with indicators of satisfaction with lighting, privacy, and ventilation.

COPE-Calc

Acoustical distractions, particularly unwanted speech from neighbours and a lack of privacy, are among the biggest frustrations of the open-plan offi ce environment. In such offi ces, sound must be controlled so good acoustical conditions can be created. Offi ce designers must deal with a characteristic lack of distance to dispel noise, without using fl oor-to-ceiling walls and doors to block occupants from bothersome sounds.

In open-plan offi ces, designers have to isolate noise sources and receivers by dealing with the interior features involved. These include ceilings and fl oors, partitions (partial-height screens), workstations and

Software from the National Research Council Insititute for Research in Construction (NRC-IRC) can assist in offi ce design.

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occupant orientation, lighting fi xtures, and sound masking systems.

The ceiling is the largest bare surface in an open-plan environment and, therefore, has a major effect. When conducting experiments in mockup offi ces, COPE researchers found the ceiling should have an appropriate sound absorption average (SAA) rating. They also discovered absorptive ceilings with planes broken by baffl es or coffers are less refl ective than those with unbroken planes.

Good acoustical conditions are most effi ciently generated by a combination of design elements. In addition to specifying a suitable ceiling assembly, the design should block sightlines between co-workers and equipment, absorb refl ected sound, and provide neutral background noise.

COPE researchers at NRC-IRC established design strategies refl ecting the fi ndings of the consortium study, aimed at helping designers make good choices for all elements to produce an indoor environment that achieves normal privacy for the occupants.

Noise from aircraft

Changes in the nature of aircraft noise and in building envelope designs has called for a new look at designing buildings. As a result of these developments, NRC-IRC researchers created the Insulating Buildings Against Noise from Aircraft (IBANA)-Calc software tool.

Like COPE-Calc, this program allows designers to compare designs against one

another so they can choose the one most desirable for the intended market. As with other software, the objective has been to improve acoustical quality in the most effi cient and inexpensive manner by providing reliable, user-friendly design tools.

Over a three-year period, the IBANA project included lab measurements of constructions involving more than 100 walls, roofs, and windows. Experiments were also conducted in a test house at Ottawa International Airport to compare differences between the laboratory and real buildings exposed to aircraft passing by. Validation measurements were made in airport buildings and nearby houses. This intensive research foundation formed the basis for IBANA-Calc.

The software calculates indoor sound levels from aircraft noise for both residential and commercial building envelope designs. It enables users to view comparisons of designs, refer to printed reports, and listen to simulated aircraft noise as it would be heard indoors. It is intended to resolve the diffi culty of relating decibel ratings to what one actually hears—a frequent challenge for architects and interior designers.

Conclusion

Several of the tools described in this article continue to be enhanced as new information becomes available, and as feedback from practitioners is received. Popular third-party

design software packages are also beginning to use these programs’ underlying algorithms, further extending the infl uence of NRC-IRC’s work. Additionally, NRC-IRC is looking to the next generation of practitioners by encouraging the use of these design tools in university classes.

Design tool development at NRC-IRC is not limited to the indoor environment arena. Software has also been developed to address fi re issues, heat, air, and moisture transfer in walls, and infrastructure. This emphasizes that the development of design tools is an important element of the National Research Council’s strategy to transfer knowledge to the Canadian construction industry.

✍

Notes

1_{For more on COPE, see “Open-plan Offi ce}

Designs: Promoting organizational productivity,” by Kate Charles, PhD, and Karen Pero in the July 2006 issue of

Construction Canada.

Roy Mayer is an Ottawa-based freelance writer and author. He has been a senior writer for several major Canadian residential and commercial builders, and wrote the Canadian bestseller,

Invention: In Quest of the Bright Idea,

which was short-listed for the Governor General’s Literary Award. He can be contacted via e-mail at [email protected]. DAYSIM NRC-IRC.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/ie/lighting/daylight/daysim_e.html SkyVision NRC-IRC.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/ie/lighting/daylight/skyvision_e.html DAYLIGHT 1-2-3 www.daylight1-2-3.com IA-QUEST NRC-IRC.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/ie/iaq/iaquest_e.html

COPE-ODE and COPE-Calc

NRC-IRC.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/ie/cope/07_e.html

IBANA-Calc

NRC-IRC.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/pubs/ci/v7no1/v7no1_10_e.html

Finding the Tools Online

Screen shots from IA-QUEST.

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