Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

5-2025

Abstract

Buildings increasingly incorporate sensing and actuation techniques to automate the regulation of temperature, lighting, ventilation, and more. This trend seeks to minimize human intervention, justified by the promise of enhancing energy optimization. However, it has been widely acknowledged that loss of control over environmental conditions can lead to a diminished perception of comfort and compromised long-term user awareness and satisfaction. How can we envision building systems that can interact with building inhabitants and engage them at the “right” time and place? In this work, we address this challenge through three key contributions: 1) AirSpecs, a novel smart glasses-based system that enables holistic sensing of Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) and physiological data, 2) an objective method for assessing environmental awareness using a peripheral LED light and a proposed comfort awareness process, and 3) design implications for addressing the fluidity of comfort. Over five days, 30 participants across three continents used the AirSpecs device and its accompanying mobile application. Through a mixed-methods analysis of user interactions, post-experience surveys, interviews, and co-design sessions, we present findings and design scenarios that demonstrate the potential of our contributions to enhance occupant engagement and comfort in smart buildings in the future.

Keywords

Human-building interaction, Smart building control, Wearables, Smart glasses, Across-context sensing, Environmental monitoring, Comfort in built environments

Discipline

Engineering | Environmental Sciences

Research Areas

Integrative Research Areas

Publication

International Journal of Human-Computer Studies

Volume

200

First Page

1

Last Page

18

ISSN

1071-5819

Identifier

10.1016/j.ijhcs.2025.103510

Publisher

Elsevier

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2025.103510

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