IMPLICATIONS OF GLAZED FACADES ON OCCUPANTS’ PRODUCTIVITY “APPLICATION ON OFFICE BUILDINGS IN EGYPT”

Abstract

Nowadays architects in Egypt are evidencing a trend towards office buildings that are covered with glazing façades. According to many researches presented many of failed glazing facades design in Egypt. Those buildings got glazing facades at the worst orientation “south” without any trials from designers to study the orientation of buildings and weather conditions of Egypt which effect on IEQ factors which have a significant impact on occupants’ productivity and comfort. This research is mainly concerned with the insufficient attention to the principles and standards that guide the process of using the glazing facades, and the lack of achieving the required environmental and functional requirements, which have an implication on users’ productivity. The main objective of the thesis managing to identify challenging facing design and implementation of glazing facades in office buildings in Egypt. In order to achieve this aim, the researcher go through a literature review for a set of previous studies and research about the using glazing facades in architecture and indoor environmental quality factors and its impact on occupants’ productivity in addition to infer the relation and mutual impact between them. The researcher also analyzes foreign projects that apply glazing facades to highlight application benefits, problems and specify its selection criteria. For a comprehensive vision for the current situation in Egypt, the researcher made an online survey questionnaire with a sample size of 30 architect in different fields like architecture, interior design, BOQ and specifications, management, technical office, academic and site engineers working in Egypt. After this survey some office buildings in Egypt were selected to be analyzed as a case study. In addition to 30 personal interviews directed towards