Dave's+Top+10

=Dave's Top Ten: Reasons Why We Aren't Comfortable in His Building=

A Case Study on the David Letterman Building
Paul R. Desmond + Jake A. Lecea =Final Report: December 14th, 2011=


 * Abstract: **

MSKTD and Associates designed the $21 million dollar, 75,000 sq. ft. David Letterman Building. Ball State began construction on the building in 2005 and construction was completed and the building dedicated in 2008. Technology advances have provided buildings with the ability to have different thermal zones, not only within a building itself, but also within a single open space such as an atrium. Allowing a single space to have different thermal zones can potentially allow for various users to feel thermally comfortable in a space. Thermal comfort is something that is valued by everyone. In order for people to be productive, they must be thermally comfortable. There is not a single thermal setting that will fit the needs of every user of a space and designing for that is impossible. However, if one designs for multiple zones, this will allow the users of the space to choose where they are most thermally comfortable. With the multiple zones, the designed space is maximizing its potential to have a high percentage of thermally comfortable users. The partners in this project, Paul Desmond and Jake Lecea, have visited the David Letterman Building on a number of occasions and believe that the atrium of this building could possibly have multiple thermal zones for users to choose from. In order to test our assumption of the multiple zones of the David Letterman Building, we developed a hypothesis; we believe that at any given time, there are several distinct thermal zones in the David Letterman Building ’ s atrium. Then, we developed a detailed methodology containing three separate studies: where people choose to sit, what temperature is each region during the designated observation times, and a survey of the users opinions of the atrium. After analyzing our data from the surveys and observations, we came to the conclusion that the David Letterman Building ’ s atrium may have different thermal spaces, but users do not choose to sit where they feel the most thermally comfortable, instead choosing to sit where they are secluded or able to sit with their friends.




 * Introduction: **

The David Letterman Building is a technologically advanced facility for the College of Communications and Media, the Center for Information and Communication Sciences, and the Center for Media Design. It serves as a connection between the Arts and Journalism Building and the Robert Bell Building. The building allows for direct interaction between student and faculty and promotes interaction between the users of all three buildings with a large central circulation datum that leads to an atrium space. This atrium space includes a large glass façade on the East side and provides the users with multiple places to sit.




 * Hypothesis: **

We believe that, because of the all-glass façade and the current technological advances in HVAC design, there are multiple thermal zones in the David Letterman Building ’ s atrium for users to choose from.




 * Methodology: **

1. A proposed zoning diagram within the Atrium space for a base-testing diagram.

- This zoning diagram will be derived from one week of observation that will be conducted before using the hobos.

When:

Time Period: October 19th, 2011 - October 25th, 2011

Proposed Times:

Tuesday/Thursday: 10:45am-12:00pm

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Optima,sans-serif;">Wednesdays: 12:00pm-1:00pm

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Optima,sans-serif;">2. We test the thermal zones with visually observation for user interaction to gather key thermal information to use for our Hypothesis.

- The visual observation will help us count the number of users within each proposed zone

Time Period: November 14th, 2011- November 21st, 2011

Proposed Times:

Tuesday/Thursday: 10:45am-12:00pm, 3:00pm-4:00pm

Wednesdays: 12:00pm-1:00pm



3. Provide a survey to users of the Atrium Space to find key information on their decisions within the atrium space.
-The survey will allow us to determine if the users are making a conscious about where they sit due to thermal condition

Questions:
1. Why do you sit in the Atrium space?

2. Where do you prefer to sit?

3. Does the glass facade of the Letterman Building affect your decision on where you sit? If so, Why?

4. How do you feel within the Atrium when you sit here?

cold | cool | slightly cool | neutral | slightly warm | warm | hot

5.Do you believe this space provides you with thermally comfortably place to sit?

6. Would you like it to be warmer or cooler within this space?



4. We test the proposed Thermal Zones with the HOBO Data Collectors to gather key thermal information about the proposed zones
- The hobos will be used during a three day period

Time Period: November 16th, 2011- November 18th 2011

Proposed Times:

Tuesday/Thursday: 10:45am-12:00pm

Wednesdays: 12:00pm-1:00pm

** Results: **
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Optima,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">From our observations, we found that there were a few distinct patterns, or lack thereof, in our data.

<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Optima,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In our first step of testing our hypothesis, we went to the atrium of the David Letterman building to determine if there were certain thermal zones we could see by looking at the space. We determine that the possible zones would be classified by the placement of each set chairs and couches. Each group of furniture creates their own areas for people to sit and study.

<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Optima,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In our second step, we visually observed how the students and faculty used the space. We choose to view these spaces during high traffic times during the day. The temperature of the day had no effect on how many people were wearing their jackets or long sleeves during any given time. For example, on November 9th it was 61 degrees and there were 14 out of 19 people with long sleeves, but on November 10th it was 40 degrees and only 5 out of the 10 people had long sleeves on. That is a 23% decrease from November 9th to the 10th in number of people wearing long sleeves in the atrium. Also, we were able to observe the number of people in each space. The number of people stayed consistent throughout the hour that we observed during any given day, while the number of jackets worn was always varying. The last observation the step allowed us to see that it seemed the more frequent users of each certain day did not choose to always sit in the same place as the time before, instead choosing a seat where they are more secluded and not bothered by anyone else, unless it was a group of friends in which case choose to sit where they could all be together.

<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Optima,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The surveys we handed out to the more frequent users of the spaced provided us with how individuals determined where they wanted to sit and how they viewed the atrium. In most of the cases, we saw that many of the users would rather sit by the glass façade, but never considered if they would be warmer or cooler by sitting there, only that they wanted to have a view outside. They didn <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">’ <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Optima,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">t care if they were warm or cool in each space, just that the entire atrium space has the ability to keep them warmer or cooler based on the temperature outside of the building.

<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Optima,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Looking at our data from the hobos, we find that the Atrium space may in fact be able to have control over each area <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">’ <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Optima,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">s temperature. According to our graphs, each space has its own temperature during the hour we observe; each space only varies one or two degrees from each other. Also, the temperature of the space never stays consistent from day to day, for example on November 16th region number two was the coolest of the spaces, but on November 17th region two was the second warmest space during the observation time.

Conclusion:
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Optima,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In conclusion, according to our data and visual observations of the atrium space, we found that there were no distinct thermal zones. We started forming this conclusion during the second step of our methodology, when we noticed that the more frequent users of the space generally sat based on availability of seats and where they could be most secluded from anyone else during their time spent there. The survey section provided concrete evidence that the users of the space did not consider where they sat based on temperature, but on how close they could be to a view outside if they were able to sit in the space to accommodate all their friends. The fourth part of our methodology indefinitely confirmed that the atrium did not have its own thermally controlled zones. The zones all differed in temperature, creating their own thermal areas, but they were not controlled to stay at a consistent temperature range. On any given day each spaced differed in which one was the warmest and which one was the coolest. The David Letterman Building <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">’ <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Optima,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">s atrium provides users with a thermally comfortable place to sit, but does not allow users the choice of whether or not they want to sit in a warm or cool section within the space.

Roger Lavery, Dean of the College of Communication, Information, and Media Professor of Journalism, approved this experiment.
 * Acknowledgements: **

The HOBO Data Collectors were not set up right for the given dates we planned on using them. The time intervals were not all consistent. Due to the time it took for us to get the software for the HOBO data collectors, we weren't able to look at the data and see the inconsistency of the time. Lack of communication on both parties. However, we believe it didn't have a major effect on our data collection and overall outcome.

1. Tsang, W. "Effects of Light on Humans." //Ezine Articles//. N.p., 17 Jan. 2010. Web. 8 Oct. 2010. <http://ezinearticles.com/?Effects-of-Light-on-Humans&id=3592631>. 2. Boubekri, Mohamed. //Daylight, Architecture, and Health: Building Design Strategies//. Amsterdam: Architectural Press, 2008. N. pag. Print. <span style="display: block; height: 1px; left: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; position: absolute; top: -25px; width: 1px;">October 25th Total # at 11:00 Total # at 11:15 Total # at 11:30 Total # at 11:45 Total # at 12:00 # of People within Space 13 15 16 15 17 # with jackets on 6 7 7 8 9 Temperature for the day: 71 71 71 71 71
 * References: **