Identification of Visual and Thermal Comfort in Classroom

Abstract

As a learning facility which has interaction inside it, a classroom should be comfort in term of visual and thermal. Visual comfort can be obtained by the presence of sunlight through opening. While thermal comfort is the air temperature that influenced by building material used. Room 21 (R.21) of Gedung Kuliah Bersama V (GB V) Universitas Bengkulu (UNIB) is a classroom that mostly used by Architecture Student for receiving lecture from morning until afternoon. To identify the visual and thermal comfort of R.21, computer simulations with Ecotect program was did to get the room lighting and temperature condition in level 60cm above the floor. The result shows that natural light in R.21 GB V UNIB is comfortable enough with 630 lux of average daylight levels. While the temperature in R.21 GB V UNIB is still not comfortable because the average mean radiant temperature is 26,6°C. Visual comfort obtained along with high temperature because R.21 GB V UNIB is located at the corner of the building that have glass window in the east and north of the room.