Teachers and students work and study in classrooms for long durations. The indoor environment directly affects the health and satisfaction of teachers and students. To explore the performance differences between green buildings, conventional buildings, and retrofitted buildings in terms of their indoor environment, occupant satisfaction, and sick building syndrome (SBS), as well as the correlation between these different aspects, three university teaching buildings were selected in hot summer and cold winter regions in China. These included a green building (GB), a retrofitted building (RB), and a conventional building (CB). Long-term indoor environment monitoring and point-to-point measurements were conducted during the transition season and winter and the indoor environment, satisfaction, and SBS in the three buildings were compared. A sample of 399 point-to-point questionnaires was collected. A subjective-objective indoor environmental quality (IEQ) evaluation model for schools in China was established, covering satisfaction and the indoor environment. The results showed that the compliance rate of the indoor environment in the GB and RB was generally superior to that of the CB. The overall satisfaction was the highest for the GB, followed by the CB, and then the RB. The GB had the highest overall indoor environment quality score, followed by the RB and then the CB. The occurrence of SBS was lowest in the CB, followed by the GB, and then the RB. It was determined that the design of natural ventilation should be improved and that building users should be given the right to autonomous window control and temperature control. To reduce the occurrence of SBS symptoms, attention should be paid to the control of temperature and CO₂ concentration. To improve learning efficiency, it suggests reducing indoor CO₂ concentrations and improving desktop illuminance. This study provides a reference for improving the indoor environment and health performance of existing university teaching buildings.

Sick building syndrome (SBS) poses a significant challenge in hospital settings, adversely affecting staff health, operational efficiency, and environmental quality. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of SBS among medical staff in Chinese hospitals, advancing the literature by pinpointing actionable environmental and psychological factors tailored to this occupational group within China’s distinct regional context. A survey questionnaire was administered to 615 medical staff members across seven private hospitals located in the eastern coastal region of China. Data were collected using structured questionnaires. The survey encompassed 27 factors across four aspects, with respondents being asked to self-assess the severity of four types of SBS symptoms (never, rarely, occasionally, often). Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify factors associated with SBS, based on odds ratios (OR) with a significance level of p < 0.05. The prevalence rates for skin symptoms, mucosal symptoms, and general symptoms were 32.8%, 61%, and 71.1%, respectively. Gender, psychological mood, visibility of water systems and greenery from the workspace, outdoor noise environment, indoor air quality, indoor natural lighting, department of occupancy, design of workspace, cleanliness, and control over the indoor environment (temperature, lighting) were identified as risk factors related to SBS symptoms. These findings underscore the critical role of modifiable building design and psychological factors in SBS occurrence, offering a novel perspective on hospital-specific risks in China compared to global studies. Enhancing indoor and outdoor environments—through increased greenery, noise reduction, improved air quality, better lighting, and greater environmental control—emerges as a vital strategy to mitigate SBS, with implications for hospital management and staff well-being.

In Shenzhen, a high-density city facing severe land scarcity, the proliferation of compact primary school campuses poses significant challenges to the outdoor wind environment, which is crucial for outdoor thermal comfort in a hot–humid climate. This study employs Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to systematically evaluate wind comfort across a range of high-density primary school layouts. Typical design proposals are classified and analyzed based on three key planning aspects: education building forms, courtyard openness, and sports field configuration. Wind comfort area ratio and static wind zone area ratio are adopted as key performance indicators to evaluate outdoor wind performance. The findings demonstrate that decentralized teaching building forms, multi-courtyard layouts with openings oriented towards the prevailing summer wind, and juxtaposed sports field placement significantly enhance outdoor ventilation and comfort. Additionally, positioning the main entrance on the windward side and incorporating elevated voids or terraces to form coherent ventilation corridors are effective design strategies. This research provides theoretical guidance for designing high-density school campuses in hot–humid southern China.

With the rapid development of school buildings in China during recent years, the preferential selection of appropriate technologies has important guiding significance for the high-quality development of green school buildings. This study took Zhejiang Province as a case example, which was in hot summer and cold winter region. The quantity and type characteristics of green schools were analyzed. The application of green building technology for schools in Zhejiang Province was then analyzed and finally, based on the maturity of technology application and star application, the appropriate green school building technology for different situations was summarized and proposed. The results can provide technical guidance for the design of green schools in hot summer and cold winter region.