Can we measure buildings' affordance?

Abstract

The term affordance is used in this paper to denote the capacity of buildings to provide occupants the possibility to control the indoor-environmental conditions so as to meet their needs and requirements. This is typically facilitated via buildings’ various control devices and systems meant to control ambient conditions. In this paper, we discuss recent progress in developing a building affordance evaluation method. The idea is to evaluate buildings’ control devices and elements based on their availability as well as their effectiveness. We critically examine the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed affordance measurement method and discuss its future potential to be used as a performance assessment tool by professionals and stakeholders in building design and operation.