Thermal Comfort Analysis

Internal (Mean Radiant) Temperatures

Understanding how the internal environmental conditions can affect occupant comfort is of great importance not only in sustainable design but good design in general. This image shows the Mean Radiant Temperature of a proposed building design with large amounts of glazing on a summer morning. The areas in blue are the coolest while the areas in orange are the warmest.

3D Display of Internal Temperatures

Areas near the exterior of the building experience the largest fluctuation in temperature, especially is the case when glazing is introduced. The analysis below illustrates in 3D the Mean Radiant Temperature of two spaces. The areas with higher temperature are red (and higher in the vertical direction) while cooler areas are in blue (and lower in the vertical direction).

Internal Temperatures

Larger volume spaces can have stratification of space temperatures. It is important to be aware of these temperature differences within a space in order to take advantage of passive design strategies, as well as optimizing mechanical systems. This image shows the temperatures in a vertical building section of a gymnasium design. Areas in blue indicate lower temperatures and areas in red/orange indicate higher temperatures.