Perception of comfort in relation to weather and indoor adaptive opportunities

Abstract

This paper compares conditions on three floors of a building that use different environmental control strategies. The first floor uses night ventilation and thermal mass to keep the interior cool, the third floor was fitted with mechanical cooling units, and the second floor consists of standard cellular offices with 50% glazing. This paper discusses the results of staff satisfaction surveys conducted in three consecutive months, August, September, and October 1995, among the occupants of the three floors of the building. The results show a clear change in the perception of comfort and adaptive opportunities on each floor as the weather cools down from an exceptionally hot summer. Lessons are drawn for the design of passively cooled buildings and for future research in this important area.