Post occupancy evaluation of thermal comfort in higher educational buildings in a hot arid climate

Abstract

Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) is an important tool that is broadly used to sustain human wellbeing. Thermal comfort plays a key role in enhancing performance inside buildings. This paper discusses the evaluation of thermal comfort in a sample of higher educational buildings located in a hot arid climate like Egypt. It focuses on the use of three POE techniques to enhance interior conditions and emphasizes the importance of utilizing different techniques to verify findings. In the quest to achieve thermal comfort, POE techniques, whether quantitative or qualitative, are important tools for evaluation. A sample of indoor spaces is reviewed and indicates that 2/3 of them fulfill occupants satisfaction according to actual readings and simulation results. The research also involves a survey of POE questionnaires as an interactive tool for evaluation. This section reveals a different perspective by indicating that only 1/3 of spaces fulfill occupant satisfaction. The study highlights such a significant disparity in results and endorses that the operation of indoor spaces should provide favorable conditions which are actually perceived by users and are truly responsive to their needs. This paper consists of three parts respectively addressing: the broad notions; the multi-tool evaluation process, and the findings and recommendations.