Investigation of indoor environmental quality in high-rise residential buildings

High-rise buildings are constantly changing and developing since they first began to be constructed. When the development of high-rise buildings is examined, most are found being used as offices. However, according to the changing economic, social and cultural requirements of contemporary urban life, this function has been declining, and high-rise office buildings have been replaced with residential apartments. Although high-rise buildings are still primarily used as offices around the world (45%), more than 50% are used as residential buildings in Turkey. As people spend a considerable amount of time in residential spaces, high-rise buildings must also offer standard residence comforts to their users when functioning residentially. In this study, the influence of physical indoor environment parameters in high-rise residential buildings on their indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is examined. Selected national and international buildings are compared in terms of IEQ-determining parameters. To construct new high-rise residential buildings, methods—design, planning, technology, material, and application—that do not affect user health negatively and enhances the user productivity and energy efficiency have been determined. High-rise buildings can be designed to be environment friendly, energy efficient, and sustainable. However, the applicability of these factors decreases with per-meter increases in the building height. The study result indicates building skin as the most important component for obtaining an ideal IEQ. The design of the building envelope as a single façade can hamper the IEQ sustainability as well as occupant safety. However, designing the building envelope as a double skin façade offers thermal comfort with layered structure, fresh indoor air quality with opportunities for natural ventilation, acoustic comfort with noise absorption, and illumination comfort with sun control elements and can easily and sustainably ensure IEQ and occupant safety.