Achieving Sustainable Outdoor Thermal Comfort in the American University of Sharjah Campus
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Date
2016-09
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Publisher
The British University in Dubai (BUiD)
Abstract
There are many factors that impact and influence the success of an urban space.
Numerous physical and social environment components and location of the given
space in the city are all key components that play part. This study however,
mainly focuses on one physical environmental aspect known as the thermal
environment. Thermal environments are components of physical environments
that dictate the human thermal comfort. The control of this comfort is conducted
through exchange of energy between the body and its consequent surroundings,
and it can generally be stated that it exists in the circumstance that a body can
readily sustain a constant and deep temperature of approximately 37°C.
Therefore, thermal comfort can be defined as the relationship between the thermal
condition and an individual’s awareness of warmth that makes the impression.
The study will carry out a comprehensive research on the layout of the American
University of Sharjah (AUS) campus in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Multiple data categories will be collected from the campus users through a series
of surveys and interviews to obtain an understanding of the site conditions and
their comfort levels. Human thermal comfort is an environmental quality that is
directly impacted by the outdoor conditions of the university’s campus. It is
among some of the most affected qualities of the environment in the urban
outdoors. Since the microclimate of AUS is hot humid, the thermal adaptation of
the university’s occupants is quite challenging due to exposure to variation air
temperatures.
Despite the control the outdoor thermal environment being difficult, there is a
need to avail thermal comfortable conditions, which are able to cater for the
outdoor activities such as walkability, driving, parking, greenery, shades, water
features among others. This study is based on investigating the problem of lack of
sufficient thermal conditions to facilitate comfort amongst the University’s
occupants. It’s aimed at solving this problem by recommending new improvised
design elements for the campus’ thermal adaptation through creating areas with
sufficient shades as well as outdoor sophisticated space planning.
Description
Keywords
outdoor thermal comfort, American University of Sharjah Campus, urban space, United Arab Emirates (UAE), thermal environments