UNIVERSITY OF MALTA

FACULTY FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

M.SC. ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
YEAR I
MAY/JUNE 2015 EXAMINATION SESSION
Unit Code: EVD5105

Unit Title: Health & Comfort

Date: Tuesday 9th June 2015

Reading Time: 17:00 17:05

Examination Time: 17:05 19:35
________________________________________________________________________
SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS:
PAPER CONTAINS FIVE QUESTIONS. ANSWER ANY FOUR QUESTIONS.
START THE ANSWER TO EACH QUESTION ON A FRESH PAGE.
1. The population in the more developed countries spend up to 90% of their time indoors and
many spend most of their working hours in an office environment. Discuss this statement in
the context of todays ever increasing demands on the perfection of comfort standards
indoors. What are the most serious underlying implications on human health today?
[15 marks]
In the design of a new office block and retail outlet, you would be obliged to follow specific
requirements for comfort standards for each of the two uses. Why? What other requirements
would you consider?
[10 marks]

2. A sick building is one that detracts the health of its users. Identify at least 3 long-term
consequences of this phenomenon.
[10 marks]
What are the effects of a lack of attention by management to employees persistent pleas for
improvement in the indoor air quality?
[5 marks]
Why and how are law suits instituted in this case?
[10 marks]

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3. Thermal Comfort is defined as the absence of discomfort. Given that our aim is to maintain
equilibrium between the inner body organs and the indoor environment, list the three skins
that we have at our disposal to achieve this, without the expenditure of energy. Elaborate on
their interactive importance.
[9 marks]
The design of the building envelope to achieve comfort is typically approached through three
interlinked phases. Which are these? Highlight their importance to achieve and maintain
indoor comfort in a sustainable manner.
[10 marks]
There is also a backward-design approach to ensure the success of such an equitable
comfortable environment. List the three distinct steps in this approach to achieve this goal.
[6 marks]

4. Highlight the importance of environmental monitoring in assessing a buildings overall

performance. What parameters are normally monitored?
[10 marks]
As an environmental engineer, you have been appointed a member of a design team to
refurbish an old courtyard mansion in Valletta into a private office. Using a schematic
labelled diagram, illustrate how you would design an environmental monitoring programme
of the existing building.
[10 marks]
Apart form objective unbiased scientific monitoring, what other means would you use to
collect subjective impressions of the buildings performance? Elaborate your answers using
your coursework as an example.
[5 marks]

5. Define SBS (Sick Building Syndrome). In this context what is the importance of a POE
(Post-Occupancy Evaluation)? Explain the salient features of such a survey for a sick
building.
[5 marks]
Office staff at a local leading insurance company have raised the alarm over uncomfortable
and possibly unhealthy indoor environment, over which they have very little control over.
Through their workers union they are collectively suing the company giving it one year to
remedy the situation.
The same company has commissioned you as the environmental engineer on a design team
to refurbish their offices, where the problem persists. Discuss in detail how you would plan a
POE for the building, given you have less than one year before changes are carried out?
[20 marks]

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