Contextual drivers of occupants’ comfort and behavior in buildings: A review

Comfort is a multifaceted concept, varying across different fields and contexts. In building environments, occupant comfort results from a complex interplay of physical, personal, and contextual factors. While physical variables have been extensively studied, the impact of contextual variables, especially those tied to architectural and interior design, remains underexplored. This manuscript highlights the gaps in the literature by analyzing 127 papers, offering a detailed and critical examination of the current understanding in the field, and distinguishing contextual variables from other experimental variables in the literature. The review details the various comfort domains and examines prior studies’ experimental settings and methodologies. The findings indicate that while variables such as office layout have been extensively examined, other factors such as workstation location, floor level, materiality, and furniture have received minimal attention. Furthermore, most existing studies were conducted in operational buildings, where confounding variables precluded the isolation of specific contextual factors. The review also emphasizes the scarcity of studies employing more rigorous and controlled experimental setups. It also contributes to the knowledge of contextual variables in the literature by adding categories and variables that previous studies have not explored. A framework is proposed for future studies focusing on the visual perception of contextual variables within relevant building typologies. It is recommended that controlled environments, advanced simulation techniques, and objective measurement tools be used in future experiments to isolate and accurately evaluate the impact of contextual variables on occupant comfort. Addressing these deficiencies will help advance the field by developing design guidelines and standards that enhance the well-being and productivity of building occupants.