What moves the user? Multi-domain motivations behind window and blinds interactions from a user perspective in open-plan offices

作者：Verena Marie Barthelmes, Caroline Karmann, Viviana González Serrano, Arnab Chatterjee, Kun Lyu, Jan Wienold, Marilyne Andersen, Dusan Licina, Dolaana Khovalyg · 发表于：Building and Environment · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.114162 · 被引用次数：2 · 研究领域：Facilities and Workplace Management、Building Energy and Comfort Optimization、Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure

• The OBdrive application surveys the real-time motivations behind window and blind control actions • Motivations differed between the 2 case study offices, reflecting building and occupant differences • Windows were mainly opened due to warm discomfort combined with poor air quality • Windows closing was motivated by cold discomfort, even at high CO 2 levels, and contextual factors • Blinds were operated mainly due to the visual discomfort, with little influence of contextual factors Office employees are influenced by various environmental and contextual factors that prompt interaction with building interfaces, such as adjusting windows or blinds. These behaviours can impact predictions of buildings’ performance. While occupant behaviour models often rely on physical variables, they tend to overlook users’ actual motivations and how these interact. This study introduces a novel mobile application, OBdrive, that uniquely captures occupants’ motivations in real-time, offering direct insights into why users operate windows, blinds, and lights. OBdrive forms a central element of the eCOMBINE framework (“Interaction between energy use, COMfort, Behaviour and the INdoor Environment in office buildings”), applied across five monitoring campaigns in two open-plan offices in Switzerland. The analyses highlight the diverse range of motivations underlying occupants’ interaction with windows and blinds. In addition to single environmental drivers (e.g., 45% of window-open actions in res...