AN ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT'S COMFORT IN HIGHER EDUCATION BUILDING OF PAKISTAN

Abstract

Comfort assessment, as defined in the literature, is an evaluation of the quality of indoor building environments through user perception. Considering its criticality in the educational institutes, this study was aimed to assess the students’ comfort level in the universities of Pakistan, so that proper measures can be carried out to upgrade the classroom’s environment. Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, Pakistan was selected as the study area. Two departments, namely the Architecture Department and City and Regional Planning (CRP) Department were randomly selected. With an interval of ten, a sample of twenty-seven students was selected using Systematic Sampling Technique. The data was analyzed using frequency distribution and Likertscale index score method. Results showed strong satisfaction with the seating and acoustic quality, whereas dissatisfaction with the visual, ventilation and thermal qualities were observed. Classrooms of the Architecture Department with moderate room temperature had minimal access to sunlight and air. While the classrooms of the CRP Department had extreme temperature gain with excess sunlight and glare both during summer and winter season. Thus, it was proposed that the problematic conditions in these two Departments should be addressed at the earliest to improve the comfort level. Findings, also proposed the necessity to include such variables in the annual student's feedback.•Likewise, it was argued that a similar approach could be adopted for other institutes to make the classrooms comfortable.