Humidity Benchmarking for Optimal Indoor Comfort and Cognitive Performance (HOPE)

Project ID: 2531ad1480

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UCL Lead department: Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources (BSEER)

Project Summary:

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a significant increase in population working from home (ONS 2024). Despite such a cultural shift, there is limited evidence of research focussing on the varying indoor environment in office settings at homes and such environment affects thermal comfort and productivity. In addition, while temperature is often a primary focus in indoor environmental standards, humidity has been known to also significantly influences thermal comfort and cognitive function. This project therefore aims to establish an improved understanding of such a complex interaction and provide benchmarks on humidity levels in home office settings that enhance both comfort and cognitive performance.

This study will involve a mixed-method approach. Monitored data from home office environments will be collected and analysed. Participants will complete cognitive tasks under varied humidity conditions, simulating common home office setups. Interviews will capture subjective comfort feedback, providing qualitative insights. Based on the results, the project will propose tailored humidity benchmarks suited to various home office environments in different building typologies and consider the influence of contextual factors such as occupant density. These outputs will also contribute towards reviewing existing indoor air quality standards (e.g., ASHRAE, CIBSE) to accommodate the unique demands of home-based work.

We seek motivated candidates interested in environmental science and cognitive impact research and with a solid science background, ideally in engineering or physics, to join an interdisciplinary team of experts in building performance and cognitive research. Candidates will help establish optimal humidity benchmarks to enhance thermal comfort and cognitive performance in home office settings, addressing the increased remote work trend. Key responsibilities include:

· Designing and conducting experiments on humidity’s impact on cognitive performance.

· Analysing environmental data to develop comfort and productivity benchmarks.

· Evaluating humidity control strategies across diverse home environments.