Qualitative and quantitative investigation into the indoor built environment of modular student housing: A multiple-room case study

Studies on the indoor built environment (IBE) of modular student housing (or dormitory/hostel) are scant. This study aims to investigate the IBE of a Dutch modular student housing using a research approach that integrates both IBE performance data and occupants’ perception for synthetic analysis. In the first stage, based on grounded theory, a focus group discussion (FGD) was conducted to capture occupants’ perceptions of the IBE of the student housing. With thermal quality and indoor air quality (IAQ) revealed from the FGD as the most critical IBE factors, a field study was carried out to measure the temperature, relative humidity, and CO₂ concentration in the apartments of the FGD participants; meanwhile, the participants’ ventilation control behaviours were logged. Statistical analysis was carried out and the results suggested significant differences between the five sampled apartments in temperature and CO₂ concentration. Furthermore, the logged behaviour data revealed that both room orientation and occupant behaviour have significant impacts on the thermal quality and IAQ. This study unveiled the correlation between the IBE and the occupant behaviour, and the methodology developed can be applied to investigate more modular student housing in future, for enhancing their design and management.