Thermal Comfort in Enclosed Lift Lobby of a Tropical Educational Institution

Abstract

The enclosed lift lobby is categorized as unique building transitional space. This paper reports on an evaluation of thermal comfort conditions in a prominent building transitional space – the enclosed lift lobby of an educational institution in Malaysia, using a field survey
which included objective measurement and subjective assessment. The temperature set-point of an air conditioner was increased to investigate human thermal perception in the enclosed region. Comparison was made on the percentage of thermal sensation, preference, acceptability, general comfort and effect on work productivity obtained from the field survey. The outcomes clearly indicate that human thermal perception in the enclosed lift lobby is
directly proportional to the level of human occupancy, and sudden temperature change may lead to thermal discomfort of occupants. The respondents generally prefer a cooler rather than warmer environment. Also, a comfortable temperature can be obtained even with higher thermostats settings. These findings may serve as a guideline for building operators in the tropics to control the energy consumption of cooling equipment attached to enclosed lift lobbies.