Indoor environmental quality assessment: a case study in wellness center, Ankara

Designing for an acceptable indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is essential due to its health impacts on the space users. The assessment of indoor environmental quality can be performed basically by four main parameters; indoor air quality, thermal comfort, lighting comfort and acoustic comfort. In this research, a healthcare center (Medifit Wellness Centre, Ankara, Turkey) is chosen as a case study in order to assess its indoor environmental quality parameters through objective measurements, subjective users' evaluations (physical perception) and architectural characteristics. Initially, the objective data is compared to the international standards and the findings are discussed in detail. In addition, several statistical tests are carried to set forth correlations and relationships of the chosen parameters between objective-subjective and architectural data. The first correlation is established between the objective and subjective data, where a correlation is found between the lighting data in the exercise room. Furthermore, several correlations are also presented between the demographic and space usage data of the participants, and the subjective physical perception and importance assessment of the IEQ parameters in the different spaces. Finally, through ANOVA tests and means comparison, it is concluded that the areas within the case space vary in their indoor environmental quality, as the exercise rooms are found significantly noisier, brighter, cooler and less humid than the treatment rooms.