The interior design studio built environment: Exploring intersections of energy conservation, student satisfaction, and occupancy patterns

In buildings where students have twenty-four hour access, the building systems must operate for maximum occupancy levels around the clock because the details of occupancy are currently unknown. Energy and money are wasted by operating these systems when it is not necessary to do so. By observing patterns of student occupancy and estimating when students are more likely to be in the building working, building operators may be able to adjust the lighting and HVAC systems to reduce wasted energy.;To further examine the behavior of this population, this thesis case study closely examined the occupancy habits of a selected group of interior design students enrolled in a studio course at a major university during the spring and summer semesters. In addition, satisfaction surveys and group interviews were conducted to better understand the studio dynamic including occupancy behaviors, motivations, and classroom satisfaction. Guerin's Human Ecosystem Model served as a useful model to frame likely considerations for the perception and satisfaction of the built environment (1992). As part of the Guerin model, variables relating to the behavioral, physical and natural environments of the studio space were examined during the course of this case study.;Results of the study indicated a noticeable increase in student occupancy patterns relating to project deadlines. During the periods of low usage between project due dates, energy could conceivably be saved by adjusting building systems to run less frequently. Furthermore, results from surveys and interviews discovered that students were satisfied overall with their studio space.