This study investigates the interplay between thermal perception and acoustic annoyance in an open-plan office in Southern Brazil’s hot and humid climate. Using environmental measurements and subjective assessments, the research explores how the thermal and acoustic environment across seasons, and the use of thermal Personalized Environmental Control Systems (PECS) affect occupants’ acoustic and thermal perceptions. Ten noise sources were analyzed to assess their association with acoustic annoyance and the resulting coping mechanisms like the willingness to use headphones (acoustic PECS). People’s activity and colleagues’ thermal PECS were the most common sources of acoustic annoyance. Seasonal patterns showed higher annoyance by people’s activity in summer while colleagues’ thermal PECS were more disturbing in winter due to the louder operation of portable heaters. Results from linear mixed-effect models further revealed that thermal sensation was mainly described by air temperature and participants’ PECS use, while cross-modal effects emerged for thermal pleasure, which was significantly associated with acoustic annoyance from colleagues’ PECS and people’s activity. Conversely, annoyance from people’s activity was explained only by noise levels, while annoyance from colleagues’ PECS was related to both thermal and acoustic factors. These findings highlight that cross-modal interactions selectively shape comfort evaluations and emphasize the role of personal and colleagues’ adaptive behaviors in shared workspaces. However, the relatively small sample size limits the generalization of the results, and future studies should include a larger and more diverse participant group to reinforce these findings. ... Read more

Personalised Environmental Control Systems (PECS) enable occupants to locally adjust environmental parameters without affecting others. Rooted in the fields of thermal and air quality management, this approach is key for enhancing satisfaction and well-being in the built environment by empowering occupants to control their immediate surroundings. Moreover, it offers energy-saving potential by optimizing conditions in targeted areas rather than across the entire environment. Within the framework of the IEA EBC Annex 87, the concept was explored for the first time in the acoustic domain. After defining Acoustic PECS, a systematic review according to PRISMA guidelines was conducted to unpack (1) technologies in the literature aligning with this concept; (2) their impact on occupants; and (3) current limitations. The literature search, conducted on Scopus, Web of Science, APA, and PubMed, included field or laboratory studies assessing systems enabling local acoustic control in settings that are relevant for office environments. Review papers, medical device studies, and reports without insights on occupant impact were excluded. Thirty-eight studies were selected, covering active and passive systems, building-attached, furniture-integrated, and wearable devices. The qualitative analysis highlighted potential positive effects in challenging acoustic environments, including reduced annoyance, improved work performance, masking or cancellation of intrusive noises, and enhancements in short-term memory, among other benefits, despite existing technological and methodological limitations. The evidence collected is constrained by the limited number of identified studies and methodological gaps stemming from the relatively wide focus of the studies where such devices were investigated. The definition of Acoustic PECS provides a foundation for future research, guiding the development of these systems and fostering high-quality and consistent evidence of their impacts. ... Read more

The availability of systems that can locally adjust environmental parameters holds the potential to enhance building occupant satisfaction by considering individual sensitivities, expectations, and needs. To this aim, Personalised Environmental Control Systems (PECS) are being studied as solutions that can provide individually controlled environments in the immediate surroundings of an occupant, without affecting directly the entire space and other occupants’ environment. The concept has been primarily developed to address individual control of the thermal environment and perceived air quality, as in chairs with heating/cooling functions and desks equipped with personalized ventilation systems. By extending the concept of PECS to the acoustic domain, a framework on Acoustic PECS is here introduced and exemplified. The study builds on ongoing research within the IEA EBC - Annex 87, dedicated to investigating the Energy and Indoor Environmental Quality Performance of Personalised Environmental Control Systems. ... Read more