The enclosed lift lobby distinguishes itself as a unique form of region categorised under building transitional spaces. This paper reports on an evaluation of thermal comfort conditions in a prominent transitional space in buildings which is the enclosed lift lobby of an educational institution in Malaysia, using field survey which included objective measurement and subjective assessment. The temperature set-point of air conditioner was increased and maintained at 26°C to investigate the human thermal perceptions in the enclosed region. Comparison was made on the percentage of thermal sensation, preference, acceptability and general comfort votes obtained from field survey. The outcomes clearly indicated that the human thermal perception in the enclosed lift lobby would be directly proportional to the level of human occupancy, and any sudden temperature change could lead to thermal discomfort of occupants. The respondents generally preferred to have cooler environment, rather than warmer one. Also, comfortable temperature can be obtained even with higher air conditioner thermostat settings. These findings may serve as a guide for building operators in the tropics to control the energy consumption of cooling equipment attached to the enclosed transitional spaces.
Purpose
Maintaining good indoor air quality (IAQ) in the built environment is essential to assure health, safety and productivity of occupants. The purpose of this paper is to report on the preliminary IAQ assessment of selected air-conditioned laboratories and naturally ventilated workshops in a tropical education institution.
Design/methodology/approach
The concentration levels of five major indoor air pollutants (IAPs) – carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, respirable particulates, formaldehyde (HCHO) and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) in each sampling area were measured using calibrated air sampling sensors and the tracer-gas analysis was used to determine the ventilation effectiveness. A questionnaire survey was carried out concurrently to study the prevalence of sick building syndrome (SBS) among users of laboratories and workshops and the data collected were statistically analysed using χ2 test.
Findings
The air pollutant levels were found to be below the threshold limit values set in the local code of practice on IAQ, except for two of the air-conditioned laboratories. This is possibly due to insufficient ventilation, smaller floor area per occupant ratio, long-term exposure to chemical substances, and improper disposal of the used chemical substances. The total particulate levels were higher in naturally ventilated workshops because such spaces were assigned for mechanical works which involved grinding, welding and fabrication. Besides, it was identified that most of the air contaminant levels were not normally distributed (p<0.05) within the sampling areas and SBS like dry eyes, watery eyes, tiredness and dry throat were reported in both laboratories and workshops. The outcomes of this work suggest that an increase of ventilation rate was necessary to reduce the concentration of the IAPs in air-conditioned laboratories and improved housekeeping would help mitigate the prevalence of SBS symptoms.
Research limitations/implications
This research was carried out in selected laboratories and workshops in a Malaysian educational institution and only five major IAPs stipulated in the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) code of practice were measured.
Practical implications
The results of this study will enable facility engineers and managers to understand the IAPs concentration levels and potential SBS problems in academic laboratories and workshops. The recommended strategies can be considered to improve IAQ conditions in such spaces.
Originality/value
Most of the previously conducted IAQ studies focused only on commonly occupied building spaces such as offices, classrooms and houses. Information of the quality of air and SBS conditions in experimental facilities in developing nations that is available is currently very limited. This case study provides detailed information on IAQ in laboratories and workshops in Malaysia with focuses on the concentration levels of particular harmful gases, the prevalence of SBS among users of these facilities and the appropriate mitigation strategies. The results presented are of value to both academic and industry communities.
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