@article{discovery10195222,
         journal = {Building and Environment},
           title = {Factors Influencing Window Opening Behavior and Mechanical Ventilation Usage during Summertime: a case study in UK dwellings},
            year = {2024},
           month = {July},
          volume = {263},
            note = {{\copyright} 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync-nd/4.0/).},
       publisher = {Elsevier BV},
        keywords = {Window opening behaviour,
Acoustic comfort,
Indoor soundscape,
Ventilation,
Noise sensitivity,
Well-being},
        abstract = {The study presents findings of a data collection campaign conducted in 61 residential buildings in England
during the summer of 2022, aiming to investigate the factors influencing 1) window usage, and 2) activation and
deactivation of mechanical ventilation systems, and 3) the correlation between the residential soundscape,
landscape, individual noise sensitivity, and the significance attributed to the external acoustic environment in
determining window usage. The survey, covering 55 dwellings reliant on windows for ventilation, highlights that
window opening is predominantly driven by perceived indoor air quality (PIAQ) and thermal comfort concerns.
Conversely, the acoustic factor ranks first in prompting window closure, alongside considerations related to
perceived cold, safety concerns, excessive drafts, and insect intrusion. Within the 6 dwellings utilizing manually
controlled mechanical ventilation, ventilation needs emerges as the predominant factor triggering system activation, followed by considerations related to thermal comfort and PIAQ. Reasons for system deactivation primarily involve a preference for window opening, excessive drafts, and, secondarily, excessive noise or thermal
discomfort, with participant-voiced concerns about operational costs. The significance attributed to the external
acoustic environment in determining window usage is mainly independent of perceived sound sources, measured
loudness, or soundscape content. However, higher acoustic comfort scores correlate with a greater willingness to
open windows for an acoustic contact. Interestingly, noise sensitivity modulates the importance attached to the
external acoustic context when interacting with the window (odds ratio: 1.04). The study underscores the need of
incorporating noise sensitivity as a relevant individual factor in models simulating window closing behaviour.},
          author = {Torresin, Simone and Aletta, Francesco and Oberman, Tin and Albatici, Rossano and Kang, Jian},
             url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.111880},
            issn = {0360-1323}
}