Glass façades are being increasingly applied in the typology of office buildings. The environmental quality parameters of indoor spaces have an exceptional influence on the wellbeing and productivity ...of users. In the past, climate defined the architecture of a particular area. Façades of contemporary office buildings have similar characteristics regardless of their location. This study comprises four office buildings with different types of glass façades located in areas of continental and coastal climate in Croatia. Also, the research relates to a graduate study course, during which the students designed a survey to gain insight into the satisfaction of users of the analyzed buildings. The aim of this research is to explore the impact of the design of glass façades in a certain climate context on users. This paper will address the following research questions: (1) Is a fully glazed office building pleasant to work in? (2) Is a fully glazed façade an appropriate solution for office buildings in hot and sunny climates? The research results show that to achieve a comfortable indoor environment for buildings’ users, it is necessary to design the façade according to the orientation, especially in terms of glazing characteristics, a sun protection system, and window control.
This paper explored the temporary facilities created during the pandemic for use as COVID-19 test centers at Zaventem Airport, the main airport for the city of Brussels, Belgium. The possibilities of ...modular construction technology and the impact of the building envelope on users’ perception of indoor space comfort and privacy were closely observed. The three main problem statements were as follows: (1) the COVID-19 crisis indirectly influenced the creation of temporary modular buildings with glass envelopes; (2) the modular envelope is adaptable to the existing context; and (3) the envelope meets the needs of the users. This study’s objectives were to identify the critical factors for users’ well-being in temporary modular buildings, and to conduct factor comparisons among different users and between different building-enclosure systems. The study data were collected through a subjective assessment using a SWOT analysis and a survey questionnaire. The glass facade affected the users’ acceptance levels of comfort and privacy. The main results show that the users were satisfied with the level of comfort and dissatisfied with the level of privacy. This information can be used to identify areas for improvement and provide useful feedback to designers and engineers about specific design features and operating strategies for temporary modular emergency healthcare buildings.
Egon Steinmann's architectural work is mostly known for his public buildings built in Zagreb in the 1930s and 1940s. However, his body of work also comprises a series of articles focused on current ...topics which were published in professional journals and daily newspapers. He started to write during his studies in Zagreb and his professional training in Paris where he went in 1925. He was the author of the front page of the brochure on the arts and crafts in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes published on the occasion of the 1925 International exhibition of decorative art and modern industry (Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes) in Paris. As a scholarship holder of the Ministry of Education, he wrote a review of the exposition and five articles of which three were published in the newspaper "Rijec" ("Word") in 1925 and two in the journal "Nasa epoha" ("Our Epoch") in 1926. STEINMANN's early published works were actually an accurate analysis and oustanding record of the modern trends of the period. His article entitled "Contemporary expression of architecture" from 1926 was one of the first home reviews of contemporary trends as well as a positive evaluation and comprehension of modern architectural principles. Upon his return to Zagreb, he was employed in the civil service where he worked until the end of World War II. Besides his practical work in architecture, he continued to write during the 1930s and the 1940s and published texts covering a wide range of topics. He wrote about his own realizations but also about some general and historical topics including highly specialized technical texts published in professional journals. In the early 1930s he mostly wrote about his own realizations. Those articles were mainly published in the leading architectural home journals of the period and focused on the following projects: the school in Krizaniceva street (1930), the gym of the Teacher Training College and "Sokolana" in Kaciceva street (1933), the school in Kuslanova street (1934) and Post-office II in Branimirova street (1939). The topics that the author himself considered relevant for his own projects were thoroughly described and published in professional journals. In his texts he described all the difficulties that he encountered during construction as well as the knowledge, skills and experiences he gained on these occasions. The analysis of each building was primarily focused on fundamental architectural and urban values: function, form, structure, relationship to a particular site, space organization, equipment etc. The author did not concentrate merely on the description of buildings: instead he took into consideration the wider context as well as some European examples. In many of his projects and realizations, he felt the need to write. During 11 years (from 1932 to 1943) he wrote 18 articles. In the second half of the 1930s Steimann set out to write on highly specialized technical topics. In 1935 he published a popular brochure called "Protection of Population IV: Physical protection from air attacks--building shelters" written in collaboration with the engineer A. Perc. In 1936 he published two more articles on the same topics: 'Technical air raid protection" and "Air raid shelter protection". Three years later, in 1939 he published one more article with a similar topic entitled "Building up cities and regions from the perspective of technical air raid protection". In July 1938 he wrote an article "On the expansion joints in building construction" published in "Gradevinski vjesnik" ("Construction Gazette") in which he described his own experience in building the school in Kuslanova street in Zagreb. In order to gain a profound insight into STEINMANN's work, this paper chronologically presents his surveillance activities in public building construction as well as his participation in competition juries and surveys which was normally within an engineer's sphere of activities in the period. As an architect employed in the Technical department of the Royal Administration of Savska Banovina in Zagreb, STEINMANN surveyed the construction of several hospitals and other public buildings built all over Savska banovina region--the Surgical ward of the hospital in Nova Gradiska (Z. Neumann, 1929), Banovina hospital in Susak (S. Kliska, 1931), hospitals in Slavonska Pozega (S. Kliska, 1931) and Public Employment Office in Zagreb (D. Krekic, J. Korka, D. Kiverov, V. Sterk, 1935). As an engineer he was a member of the commissions in charge of the site, construction and programs of public buildings (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Heinzelova street (Z. Vrkljan, 1937) and Technical Faculty in Kaciceva st. (M. Kovacevic and E. Schon, 1937) in Zagreb. He was often a member of the architectural competition juries for the conceptual design: the hospital of the Patients' Fund for the State Traffic Personnel in Rebro, Zagreb (1938), Plitvice hotel on Plitvice lakes and Trading Academy in Split (1939). The architects between the two World Wars were interested in what was then a new field in construction--the so-called building physics in architecture. In February 1941 STEINMANN's article "On thermal technique in our building practice" was published in "Construction Gazette". In one of his texts from 1942 he wrote about Petrinja and the construction of the public centre Gora there which he designed a year before. During World War II he returned to writing. He was particularly fond of Zagreb architecture as a result of his participation in a range of discussions and surveys related to the design and development of the city. In 1943 he published two articles: 'Zagreb mosque" and "Future development of Gric" in "Tehnicki vjesnik" ("Engineering Gazette") issued by the Croatian Association of Engineers. Both articles dealt with the current events in Zagreb city. After World War II he worked in the architectural practice 'Plan" until his retirement in 1965. In that period he designed about ten big industrial facilities in Croatia. In the post-war period STEINMANN's publishing activities gradually diminished. His own writings covered a wide range of professional topics. The evaluation of STEINMANN's published works contributes to a proper understanding and assessment of his role in the modern architecture of Zagreb and Croatia between the two World Wars. This article is primarily focused on a systematic and chronological analysis of STEINMANN's written works which provide information about his professional activities and leads to a proper understanding of the social, economic and cultural context of the period.
Abstract
People are spending an increasing amount of time inside buildings. Working spaces have a very strong influence on peoples’ activities and well-being. Therefore, the quality of indoor ...environment is important for all occupants, as it can contribute to illness and lack of productivity. An increasing number of office buildings with glass facades impact not only internal occupants, but also external users who spend time around those buildings. This paper aims to assess the interaction of internal and external users and the glass façades of office buildings in Zagreb, Croatia. The focus of this research is not only physical parameters of glass facade: materials, proportions, colours, thermal and acoustic characteristics, airtightness, and its impact on occupants. Also, the relationship between inside and outside is essential for spatial awareness. Having access to views of the outside and providing natural light are important for occupants’ well-being. Solar shading system, anti-glare protection, the tint of the glass, transparency and translucency of glass façade also significantly affect external users and their perception of the building. The graduate course ‘Architecture and Technology 1’ at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb, aims to educate master students on assessing the environmental performance of existing buildings. Analysing examples of built office buildings with glass facades and the results of student survey of internal and external users of those buildings, this paper discusses working conditions, indoor and outdoor atmosphere, technical solutions, as well as architectural approaches in accordance with implementation of principles of sustainable development. The results of this research should provide useful information on users’ satisfaction, well-being, and requirements for future application in glass facade design for office buildings.
In the year 2012 the University of Zagreb started the process of energy audits and energy certification of all university buildings with the intent to improve their energy performance. As a property ...owner, the University of Zagreb encompasses approximately 130 buildings (465,000m2). The first phase of this research project involves the audit of 23 faculty buildings, which make up 30% of all faculty buildings area belonging to the university. One of the largest buildings, audited in the first phase, is the building of the former Faculty of Technology in Zagreb built from 1958 to 1964 and designed by the esteemed 20th century Croatian architect Alfred Albini. This classic work is the last of Albini's accomplishments and is a protected cultural heritage monument. Today the building belongs to the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology and the Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering. The paper presents results of the energy audit and energy certification of Albini's modern architecture building and determines the energy balance in contemporary usage. The paper also suggests possible energy efficient improvement measures and profitability calculations.
