Variations in Operational Performance of an Occupant-Centric Design due to Uncertainties in Occupants and Building Operation

Occupant-centric (OC) zoning design is crucial for ensuring the operational performance of flexible workplaces. However, once the building is completed based on OC design, actual performance during operation can differ due to the uncertainties in occupants and operational strategies. This study evaluates the impact of operational uncertainties, including occupants’ characteristics and operational strategies, on the building operational performance (i.e., thermal comfort and building energy usage) of OC design.

Through a retrofit building project case study, the variations in operational performance due to the operational uncertainties are quantified by simulations with a hundred sets of occupants and two types of operations (i.e., conventional and OC operation). The results showed that the operational performance significantly differed even with the same design due to the difference in occupants and operation. Notably, conventional operation combined with OC design resulted in a significant potential loss of thermal comfort and building energy usage, 2-10% and 9-10%, respectively, compared to OC operation. The findings underscore the importance of deploying OC operation to OC-designed buildings to ensure the operational performance.