Implementation of the Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Model for the Assessment of a Retrofitted Historical Masonry Building

Abstract

Achieving a satisfactory level for indoor environments of historical buildings is an ongoing problem that needs to be solved due to a large demand for deep retrofits in the whole of Europe. The implementation of the indoor environmental quality index (IEQ) to predict an occupant’s satisfaction in thermo-modernized historical buildings is a new concept which is a response to existing needs. In this article, a relevant study is provided with the intention to evaluate the indoor environmental performance of retrofitting effects in historical buildings dating back to the years 1873–1878. Considering the historical character of the buildings, some of the cellar spaces were fitted out with an innovative internal insulation system of mineral sheets based on calcium silicate to prevent water vapor condensation and effectively limit mold growth. The IEQ methodology was applied for retrofitted and non-retrofitted spaces as a comparison. Four essential components of indoor quality are investigated: thermal comfort, indoor air quality, acoustic comfort, and visual quality. The results of sub-component indexes are calculated based on the measured indoor parameters and the specific sensory functions. This paper discusses the results of an indoor environmental analysis including a mycological air quality assessment with the newly developed IAQindex (fungal air contamination index), total volatile organic compound concentration (TVOC), CO2, and formaldehyde (HCHO) assessment, the evaluation energy-related thermal comfort, acoustic, and visual quality, of modernized spaces. A questionnaire survey study was additionally carried out among a building’s users intentioned to compare the accounts of satisfaction before and after the retrofitting process and also to compare “subjective” results with the one’s based on in situ tests. The retrofitting approach was proven to be effective in limiting the presence of molds and a significant difference in indoor environmental quality between thermally insulated and uninsulated spaces was observed and discussed.