International Journal of Civil and Structural Engineering Research ISSN 2348-7607 (Online) Vol. 6, Issue 2, pp: (109-127), Month: October 2018 - March 2019, Available at: www.researchpublish.com
THE ASSESSMENT OF INDOOR THERMAL COMFORT IN A BUILDING: A CASE STUDY OF LEMAR, SALAMIS ROAD, FAMAGUSTA, CYPRUS Madu Emmanuella1, Halil Zafer Alibaba2 1,2
Department of Architecture, Eastern Mediterranean University, Faculty of Architecture, Gazimagusa, Cyprus
Abstract: Due to the large amount of fossil fuel being used up to achieve thermal comfort, the future of a healthy environment looks uncertain. To conserve fossil fuel energy and resources used to enhance indoor thermal comfort and reduce the incidence of global warming, calls for better understanding and application of passive design strategies and use of climate sensitive designs. This study is based on the assessment of the indoor thermal comfort in LEMAR as a case study. Mall design is an important aspect to be considered by many as it environment may influence the health and productivity of its occupants and visitors. Health symptoms like fatigue, headache, tiredness and aggressiveness are common scenario faced by people due to bad thermal comfort condition. However, the following objectives should be considered; The thermal comfort level in LEMAR based on an objective and subjective evaluation, The relationship between the physical characteristics of the spaces and both objective and subjective analysis of the thermal comfort level. Keywords: Thermal Comfort, Passive Design Strategy, Environmental Quality.
1. INTRODUCTION Thermal comfort is often related to the condition of an individual‟s mind, which expresses satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the thermal environment. Man has, for the most part, strived to create thermally comfortable environment. This is reflected in building traditions around the world – from ancient history to present day. A healthy and comfortable thermal environment of indoor spaces helps the users/ occupants to improve their work efficiency by maintaining various comfort related parameters within the desired range. (Shanu, 2010). Thermal comfort is considered as a principal requirement that is usually demanded by occupants of accommodation units such as school, malls, houses, etc. A compatible indoor climate design is actually a modification of the external environment system and is designed to provide comfort for occupants. Thermal comfort in LEMAR is an important aspect to be considered by many, as it much influences the health and productivity of its occupant. Karimipanah .T (2012) said “good thermal comfort and indoor air quality can actually have a positive impact not just on people‟s health but can also improve the quality of the environment. Thermal comfort varies across climatic zones and as a result, malls and other buildings should be designed in relation to the climatic zone. It is the role of the architect to understand and design buildings with minimum cooling loads (artificial ventilation) while also providing for thermal comfort for the buildings occupants. Due to the climatic change in Cyprus, the project, hence seeks to assess thermal comfort in a mall, focusing on LEMAR as a case study.
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