Age-Related Thermal Comfort in a Science Museum with Hot–Humid Climate in Summer

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the age-related individual differences of thermal comfort in a science museum, which located in South China, a city with hot–humid climate in summer. Environmental parameters were measured in the field study as well as questionnaires and interviews. The results showed that the occupants’ metabolic rate in the surveyed science museum was higher than that in normal buildings and the adults (above 20 years old) chose lighter activities than the youth (20 years old and younger). The tendency of values growing with the age growth existed in both the highest upper limit of comfortable temperature and acceptable temperature. The adults had a higher values in the neutral temperature (25.45 °C), a higher upper limit of comfortable temperature (28.61 °C), and acceptable temperature (32.7 °C) than the youth, while the youth had a narrower comfortable temperature range (22.83–27.24 °C). Furthermore, the elder adults also showed a stronger adaptability and resistance to the warm environment. This study provides references for environmental design and energy conservation of science museums.