2017-2018 RECO 3030 ENVIRONMEN TAL SCIENCE IN BUILD INGS

INDOOR SPACE ASSESSMENT REPORT

Lam Cheuk Yui UID 3035191169

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 CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 3

INTRODUCTION OF SPACE MULTIPURPOSE ARENA .................................................................................. 4

DESIGN REQUIREMENT OF MULTIPURPOSE ARENA .................................................................................... 5

INDOOR AIR QUALITY ........................................................................................................................................... 5
VISUAL ENVIRONMENT ......................................................................................................................................... 6
SONIC ENVIRONMENT .......................................................................................................................................... 7

ASSESSMENT OF MULTIPURPOSE ARENA ................................................................................................... 8

INDOOR AIR QUALITY ........................................................................................................................................... 8
Current Provisions for Indoor Air Quality ................................................................................................... 8
Discussion of performance ........................................................................................................................ 9
VISUAL ENVIRONMENT ....................................................................................................................................... 11
Current Provisions for Visual Environment ............................................................................................. 11
Discussion of performance ...................................................................................................................... 12
SONIC ENVIRONMENT PROVISIONS ..................................................................................................................... 14
Current Provisions for Visual Environment ............................................................................................. 14
Discussion of performance ...................................................................................................................... 15

RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................................................. 16
INDOOR AIR QUALITY .......................................................................................................................................... 16
VISUAL ENVIRONMENT ....................................................................................................................................... 16
SONIC ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................................................................ 17

CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................................. 18

REFERENCE ................................................................................................................................................ 19

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 INTRODUCTION

To encourage healthy and active lifestyle of Hong Kong people, our government has allocated
adequate amount of resources in sports facilities. Multipurpose arena can be commonly found in
sports centre in order to maximize the time and space allocation within a sports hall, allowing
various types of sports to take place at the same time.

The space assessed is located in Po Wing Road Sports Centre in Sheung Shui. Assessment and
recommendations regarding to its indoor air quality, visual environment and sonic environment are
investigated in this report.

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 INTRODUCTION OF SPACE MULTIPURPOSE ARENA

The target users of the space are mainly local members who are interested in sports. The age group
of the users varies, from 6 years old to 65 years old or above.

The area can be converted in 2 basketball courts or 2 volley ball courts or 8 badminton courts. Apart
from the sports courts, spectator stands with capacity of 1200 persons are set up there as well. The
total area of the venue is approximately 1500 m2 which is able to accommodate 1400 persons at
maximum. It is designed for 3 major activities, 1) sports training courses, 2) sports competition, 3)
community activities, e.g. Christmas Social Dance Night.

The layout and emergency fire escape route is shown below.

Fig 1. Layout and emergency fire escape route of the multipurpose arena.

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 DESIGN REQUIREMENT OF MULTIPURPOSE ARENA

To excel in quality of indoor space, 3 parameters are taken into account including the indoor air
quality, visual environment and the sonic environment.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY

In sports hall where the intensity of occupants activities is much higher, IAQ exerts great
impact on the experience of the occupants in the premise.

a) Air contaminants
The most common air contaminants found are respiratory products like body odors and
volatile organic compounds (VOCs) due to the vigorous activities or use of deodorant of users.
Air contaminants may be influential to the performance of the athletes like tiredness,
headache or shortness of breath. Design of the ventilation system should be able to remove
the air contaminants at an acceptable rate to maintain air freshness and avoid unpleasant
smell.

b) Air Temperature

Thermal comfort is directly affected by the air temperature. The design for IAQ in multipurpose
arena should follow 2 main directions. Firstly, the indoor temperature should be set at level
which occupants feel comfortable taking seasonal changes and activity level into account.
Secondly, the temperature distribution should be adjusted according to the different zones.
For example, in the middle of the space where the courts are located, the temperature should
be kept at a slightly lower level than the auditorium zone.

c) Humidity

Humidity affects the rate of heat loss by human body by perspiration and hence the thermal
comfort. If the humidity level is high in the arena, the evaporation rate of sweat of occupants
will decrease in rate, people may feel sticky and not comfortable or even increase the
opportunity for heat stroke. Oppositely, if the humidity is too low, the occupants will also feel
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discomfort due to the dry environment. According to the Beijing Institute of Architectural
Design in China, the indoor air relative humidity in gymnasium should be kept between 55-
65% in summer and around 30% in winter (Ma & Cao, 2005).

d) Air movement

Air movement is a parameter for thermal comfort and also for removal of air pollutants. The
airflow is interrelated with air temperature and humidity. The 2 basic design requirements are
(1) enough to facilitate the evaporative cooling from sweating of the users by moving the
moisture situated air away from human body (Boduch & Fincher, 2009) ; (2) acceptable rate
to provide sufficient oxygen to users. The impact of the air velocity on the movement of balls
should be minimized especially for table tennis and badminton. With reference to the design
code in China, the indoor air velocity in gymnasium should be controlled at around 0.2 m/s
(Ma & Cao, 2005). According to Hall and Greeno (2009), the air changes per hour for dance
hall should be 10-12. It is assumed that the requirement for air change for multipurpose
arena is the same due to similar level of activity intensity.

VISUAL ENVIRONMENT

It is very fundamental to create an appropriate visual environment in sports design. For a

multipurpose arena for sports, it should follow the design requirements below.

a) Levels of illuminance

Suitable level of illuminance should be provided in sports hall so that the playing athletes and
the audience can see what is going on in the court clearly. The level of illuminance required
varies due to different types of sports and the level of competition. It is suggested for
community level, average lux required for sports hall for badminton, basketball and volleyball
should be 500 lux with minimum 0.7 uniformity (Sports England, 2012).

b) Uniformity of illuminance

Creation of an equal playing conditions and consistent visibility for all players is important for
a fair competition. Therefore, the courts should be illuminated evenly. Changes in illuminance

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 levels may lead to problems in deciding the speed and the trajectory of the ball and hence.
Contrast in illuminance in the volume of field should be avoided.

Fig 2. Even illumination required for sports courts (Sports England, 2012).

c) Glare control

Glare affects the visual performance of athletes resulting in discomfort and disability, e.g.
difficulty in deciding the moving path for the badminton. Luminaries should be selected
carefully to reduce glare. Besides, the luminaries should be placed in a position that the
players will not need to look directly towards them. Usually, higher ceiling height can avoid
glare by reducing the reflection from the working plane, e.g. the floor of gymnasium.

SONIC ENVIRONMENT

The noise in spaces for sports usually stem from the large crowds and intense sporting activities. As
the volume of the space is great, the reverberation time is long if there is no appropriate noise
control. Poor noise control in space may lead to poor speech intelligibility, high background noise
levels or increase stress levels for the occupants.

The design and materials should also be able to achieve sound absorption and sound insulation
purpose such that the reverberation time of the premise should be less than the maximum time
suggested. The reference for reverberation time for indoor sports hall is <1.5s (Building Regulations
(U.S.), 2000).

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 ASSESSMENT OF MULTIPURPOSE ARENA

INDOOR AIR QUALITY

CURRENT PROVISIONS FOR INDOOR AIR QUALITY

Central air conditioning is adopted in the multipurpose arena. By observation, 2 different

types of outlets are evenly arranged over the ceiling. 21 smaller outlets without diffuser
are placed above the spectator stands and 56 bigger outlets with round air diffuser are
installed directly above the courts.

Fig 3. 2 types of air-conditioning outlets.

Fig 4. Bigger air outlets with diffuser

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 Fig 5. Distribution of air-conditioning outlets

DISCUSSION OF PERFORMANCE

AIR CONTAMINANTS

Measurement for air contaminants was not carried out due to unavailability of equipment.
As there are no windows or any openings to allow natural ventilation in multipurpose arena,
air return inlets and extract ducts are installed to dilute the unavoidable contaminant
emissions from people.

Fig 6. Air return inlets in multipurpose hall

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 AIR TEMPERATURE

The room temperature is measured using the electronic thermometer. The temperature is
21.5C. The acceptable range for gymnasium is between 20C to 22C (National
Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (U.S.), 2009). Besides, the design requirement
for adjusting temperature for zones with different level of activity intensity is satisfied. The
temperature in the seating zones is slightly higher than the courts (22.2C), it is achieved
by arrangement of different types air-conditioning outlets in the arena.

Fig 7. Temperature and humidity in multipurpose arena.

HUMIDITY

Humidity recorded is 62.6%. According to the previous section on design requirement, the
acceptable range for humidity is within 55% - 65% in summer and thus it is satisfied.
However, humidifier is not installed in this space as the climate in Hong Kong is with high
humidity and it may lead to slippery floor, mold growth or occupants discomfort if the
indoor environment is too humid. The air conditioning systems serves as a dehumidifier in
the premises for remove moisture in the air.

AIR MOVEMENT

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 The air movement is facilitated by the central air-conditioning system while no fan is
provided. It is believed that air movement in the space is very sufficient as a total of 77 air
outlets are provided. All the air outlets are installed more than 6m above the court and
evenly distributed on the ceiling, the impact on it the ball movement is minimized.
Therefore, the current provisions can fulfill the design requirement.

VISUAL ENVIRONMENT

CURRENT PROVISIONS FOR VISUAL ENVIRONMENT

The space relies solely on artificial lighting. No natural lighting is provided. General lighting
system is applied in the space that fluorescent light is distributed evenly in the area. Apart from
that, for the circulation area and auditorium region, additional fluorescent lamps are provided.

Fig 8. Fluorescent lighting in multipurpose arena

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 Fig 9. General lighting system in space.

Fig 10. Fluorescent lamp for circulation and auditorium

DISCUSSION OF PERFORMANCE

Light meter app is used to measure the illuminance level. However, it is found that the visual
performance of the space is not within a satisfactory standard.

First, the illuminance level is not sufficient. The highest horizontal illuminance obtained is just
241 lux in the area which is far below the standard 500 lux mentioned in design requirement.
The condition in the auditorium is even dimmer than 241 lux.

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Second, the lighting arrangement is inflexible. The lighting requirement for basketball, volleyball
and badminton diverse a lot. However, there is no switching arrangement for separated lighting
system to satisfy different needs.

Third, serious glare problem is found. Because the lighting system is in direct line of sight of the
players, the glare effect is very significant even though the ceiling height is around 10m above
the floor. Besides, the direct lighting shining the floor surface leads to glare also.

Fig 11. Auditorium with very low level of illuminance.

Fig 12. Glare due to the alignment of lighting

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 SONIC ENVIRONMENT PROVISIONS

CURRENT PROVISIONS FOR VISUAL ENVIRONMENT

Wood absorbing wall panels are used to cover the entire arena. The wall panels are designed as
drilled and slotted planks. For the main entrance of the arena, sound lobby is used for sound
insulation.

Fig 13. Sound absorbing feature - Drilled and Fig 14. Wood absorbing wall panels.
slotted planks

Fig 15. Double door arrangement

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 DISCUSSION OF PERFORMANCE

The overall performance of the sonic provisions is good.

For sound absorption, all the walls in the arena are covered with acoustic wall timber paneling
with high absorption coefficient shown in table 1. Drilled and slotted features further strengthen
the absorbing capacity of the wall panels by allowing high frequency sound passing in and
absorbed by fiberglass.

For sound insulation, sound lobby is used in the main entrance. It prevents the transmission of
sound transmitted into the adjoining lobby of the sports centre and also block the noise from
outside. In fig. 16 and fig 17. it shows that the decibel drops from 73.1dB to 59.7dB.

Absorption coefficient Frequency (Hz)

125 250 500 1000 2000 4000

Acoustic timber panel 0.18 0.34 0.42 0.59 0.83 0.68

Wood block on solid floor 0.02 0.04 0.05 0.05 0.10 0.05

Solid timber door 0.14 0.1 0.06 0.08 0.10 0.10

Table 1. Absorption coefficient of major matierals (Acoustic traffic LLC, 2014).

Fig 16. The sound level inside the arena. Fig 17. The sound level in sound lobby

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 RECOMMENDATIONS

INDOOR AIR QUALITY

Based on the above assessment, the IAQ is ideal except the unpleasant smell due to the body
odor of the occupants. Extra exhaust ducts should be installed to facilitate the removal of air
contaminants in space.

VISUAL ENVIRONMENT

1. Improvement on level of illuminance

Additional fluorescent lamps should be provided especially for the auditorium to improve the level of
illuminance. Also, the fluorescent tubes can be replaced by LED tubes to achieve the purpose. The
average lumens for 32W T12 fluorescent tube 1800lm while that of 16W LED tube is 1900lm. LED tubes
provide greater illuminance with lower energy consumption, longer lifespan and greater light efficiency.

Fig 18. LED tube. (Philips Lighting Holding, 2017)

Fig. 19. Fluorescent tube and LED tube comparison (Metrosphere Light Corp, 2015)

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2. Switching arrangement for various kinds of sports

The lighting system should allow selective switching to fulfil the requirements of various sports.
Especially for badminton, a specific lighting arrangement should be provided such that the luminaries at
the rear of the court can be turned off to darken the background providing a contrast with the white
shuttlecock (Sports England, 2012).

Fig 20. Background contrast for badminton court (Gao Badminton Tao, 2016).

SONIC ENVIRONMENT

The acoustic treatment of the multipurpose arena reaches a good standard. Further improvement
can be made by installing open cell foam on the wall. It can weaken the sound waves by increasing
the air resistance and thus reducing the amplitude of the waves. Acoustic foam is available in a
variety of colors and patterns for both acoustic purpose and aesthetic effect.

Fig 21. Acoustic foam in sports hall (Custom Audio Designs, 2017)

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 CONCLUSION

To conclude, the overall performance of indoor environment is fairly good in terms of IAQ, sonic
environment and visual environment. Several measures regarding to 3 parameters are suggested to
enhance the quality of space including extra exhaust ducts, replacement of luminaries, switching lighting
arrangement and installation of open cell foam. However, the assessment is inevitably subject to
inaccuracy and limitation due to the lack of professional equipment for detailed measurement. Further
research should be carried out to investigate the indoor environment performance of multipurpose
arena.

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 REFERENCE

Acoustic traffic LLC. (2014). Retrieved November 16, 2017, from

http://www.acoustic.ua/st/web_absorption_data_eng.pdf

Boduch, M. & Fincher, W. (2009). Standards of Human Comfort: Relative and Absolute.
Custom Audio Designs. (2017). Sports Hall Acoustics | Sports Hall Noise | Quiet Sports Halls | Acoustics
for Sports Halls. Retrieved November 16, 2017, from http://www.customaudiodesigns.co.uk/sports-hall-
acoustics.htm

Gao Badminton. (2017). Retrieved November 16, 2017, from https://www.gao-badminton.com/about-

us/

Indoor Air Quality Management Group (HKSAR). (2003). Guidance Notes for the Management of Indoor
Air Quality in Offices and Public Places.

Ma, X., Jian, Y., & Cao, Y. (2006). A new national design code for indoor air environment of sports
buildings. Facilities, 24(11/12), 458-464.

Metrosphere Light Corp. (2017). LED vs Fluorescent Tubes - Comparison in Energy Consumption,

Lighting Performance & Efficiency. Retrieved November 16, 2017, from

http://blog.metrospherelight.com/2014/09/led-vs-fluorescent-tubes-comparison-in.html

Philips Lighting Holdings. (2017). Retrieved November 16, 2017, from

http://www.lighting.philips.com.hk/company

Sport England. (2012). Artificial Sports Lighting Updated Guidance for 2012.

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