Occupant well-being is strongly influenced by architectural factors such as lighting, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality, all of which are shaped by climate and local context. These issues are especially important in Northern regions, where people spend much of their time indoors and face extreme environmental conditions. This lecture presents insights from two research projects focused on improving indoor environmental quality in Northern localities. The first project explores light and colour in indoors to support psychological and physiological well-being in Arctic communities. Using simulation and immersive visualization tools, it examines integrative lighting strategies that enhance visual comfort and support circadian rhythms in places with limited daylight. The second project addresses housing challenges related to wildfire smoke and its effects on indoor air quality and health. It presents mitigation strategies designed to reduce air pollutants, and it introduces novel methods based on data series monitoring to evaluate their effectiveness. Together, these projects show how targeted design interventions can improve indoor environments and support healthier, more resilient Northern communities.

Bio:

Dr. Carolina Espinoza Sanhueza is an architect, researcher, and educator whose work focuses on balancing occupants’ well-being with energy performance in architecture. Her research advances simulation-based methods, immersive visualization, and post-occupancy evaluation to support evidence-based design decision-making. She holds a PhD in Architecture from Université Laval (Québec, Canada) and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the same institution, where she investigated the effects of light and colour on visual performance and circadian stimulation in Northern and Arctic communities using image-based simulation and immersive capture techniques. She is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at Toronto Metropolitan University, studying the impact of housing retrofits on indoor air quality and developing post-occupancy evaluation methods based on time-series data analysis. Her work aims to bridge research, pedagogy, and professional practice in support of more sustainable, responsive, and human-centred architecture.