Passive space design, building environment and thermal comfort: A university building under severe cold climate, China

Abstract

In this paper, the building environment and the thermal comfort of occupants were investigated at a university building located in severe cold climate zone in the northwest of China during winter, transition and summer. First, in the two typical weather days of the year, the thermal environment of the Shihezi University building with atrium and courtyard was measured on the spot to investigate the impact of passive space design on the thermal environment of the building. Second, a questionnaire survey was used to report occupants’ subjective thermal perception and environmental variables were measured simultaneously. A total of 1346 valid subjective questionnaires and measurement data were obtained. The results showed that the thermal neutral temperature analysed by linear regression in winter, transition and summer were 24.42°C, 24.64°C and 28.10°C, respectively. The thermal comfort temperature range was from 19.59 to 29.44°C (winter) and 23.32 to 28.52°C (transition and summer). The occupants’ preference temperature was 25.14°C and 24.35°C in winter and transition. The adaptive behaviours of clothing adjustment and opening windows were closely correlated to the indoor operative temperature. Third, the correlation between indicators of thermal comfort, including subjective feelings and objective factors was also analysed.