Climate-KIC Building Technologies Accelerator – Smart Sustainable Offices (SSO)

Research Project, 2014 – 2019

Throughout Europe, 1.3 billion square metres of useful office space are poorly optimised. These spaces account for 26% of total energy usage, with over 1.2 million people spending their work lives in these environments. The result is large amounts of unoccupied space, high employee stress levels, lower productivity, and increased life cycle costs. Certification schemes, along with ambitious regulations, encourage the construction of more energy efficient buildings but regularly leave a performance gap. A smart and sustainable office incorporates all three dimensions of sustainability – economic, environmental and social, providing better performance than a conventional office. The aim is to achieve higher work performance of employees by improving comfort (including thermal, acoustic, lighting, air quality) in offices and by introducing work-patterns adapted design solutions that put the occupant into focus. Diverse interactions of office design, building design and building systems and their effects on occupants with regard to energy performance and carbon savings as well as health and well-being are investigated.