Fit-for-purpose occupant behaviour modelling for simulation-aided occupant-centric building design

A large number of recent studies has underlined the significant implications of occupant behaviour for the energy and environmental performance of buildings. However, while there has been a noticeable progress in understanding occupant needs and adaptive behaviour, application of occupant models in building design and operation is in its infancy. In this context, the supervisory team co-leads a subtask in IEA-EBC Annex 79 (Occupant-Centric Building Design and Operation) to develop, demonstrate and deploy human-in-the-loop methodologies to design buildings that are comfortable, adaptable and energy-efficient. The present project, in line with Annex 79 research activities, will investigate the challenges regarding the realization of occupant-centric simulation-aided design strategies to achieve high-performance buildings with regards to comfort, indoor air quality and energy performance.
The study aims to:
- Systematically review standards, practices and projects involving performance-based simulation-assisted design with a focus on representation of occupants
- Develop methods and guidelines to choose the most appropriate occupant modelling approaches across scales, building types, design stages, climates, and modelling objectives
- Develop, test, and document simulation-based design procedures, including robust design, parametric performance-based design, design optimization toward achieving occupant-centric high performance built environments