Occupant response to wind-excited buildings: a multidisciplinary perspective

The occupant response to wind-induced building motion is complex, governed by human physiology, and moderated by the psychological response to motion and discomfort within a sophisticated engineered environment. This paper aims to consolidate and critique the early research on the occupant response to building motion and to present recent multidisciplinary research that identifies a broader range of responses to, and consequences of, exposure to building motion. Recent field-based research shows that mild motion sickness, known as sopite syndrome, can cause significantly reduced work performance and occupant comfort. This is supported by laboratory-based physiological studies showing low-amplitude acceleration induces physiological changes in humans well below the threshold of motion perception (similar to 6.5 milli-g) which are consistent with the early onset of nausea. Current design criteria, based on perception thresholds, do not include the wider range of possible effects, particularly sopite syndrome and nausea. As a consequence, building occupants may suffer from a range of effects, including sopite syndrome and reduced work performance, that are not considered in current guidelines.