Koranteng, C; Simons, B and Essel, C (2019) Climate responsive buildings: A comfort assessment of buildings on KNUST campus, Kumasi. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 17(5), pp. 862-877. ISSN 1726-0531
Abstract
Purpose: The ever-increasing demand and consumption of energy and the effects of global warming with its long-term comrade, climate change, is obvious today than ever before. In today’s world, naturally-ventilated buildings hardly provide the satisfaction that occupants need and wish for. It’s on this backdrop that the study aims to investigate how responsive buildings on the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana campus are to its warm humid climate and assess students thermal comfort levels. Design/methodology/approach: Quantitative approach was adopted for the study. Empirical investigation was carried out using the survey approach. In total, 14 buildings (offices, classrooms and halls of residences) were assessed using the Mahoney Tables. Again, subjective thermal perceptions of occupants in the halls of residences was sought. A total of 214 valid questionnaires were used for the analysis. Findings: Adaptive principles like the Mahoney Tables are not followed in recent years. Even where these principles have been followed, indoor spaces were still found to be uncomfortable. In total, 58 per cent of the occupants in all the three halls of residence voted in the comfort band: an indication unacceptable sensations. Warm sensation votes (44 per cent) was more than cool sensation votes (29 per cent). In warm sensation, 39 per cent of the subjects preferred cooler environment. The occupants felt that opening windows and the use of fans could keep them comfortable. Moreover, 48 per cent of the subjects voted that their fans and windows were effective. Originality/value: The papers contribution to the body of knowledge is the provision of empirical evidence in the field of adaptive designs and thermal comfort. There is a strong indication from the results that human activities in terms of blatant disregard for laid down design principles coupled with the worsening situation of global warming is making interior spaces ever uncomfortable.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | climate responsive buildings; energy; global warming; occupants; thermal comfort |
| Index terms: | satisfaction, Ghana, thermal comfort, investigation, comfort, human activity, humid climate, science, sensation, survey, design principle, global warming, thermal perception, methodology, classroom, window, questionnaire, evidence, body of knowledge, consumption, climate change |
| Subjects: | occupational health and safety management, sociology, environmental engineering, architectural elements, research methods, Geography, knowledge management, project delivery, evaluation and assessment methods, data collection methods, construction type, specialized education, consumer economics, climate science, human factors and perception, design methods |
| Topics: | Design Practice, Education, Health and Safety, Research Practice, Geographical Context, Project Management, Information Management, Stakeholder Management, Construction Technology, Sustainability |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here