Field study in the residential buildings in the old city of tartous in syria during the summer period

Abstract

A thermal comfort field study has been carried out in residential buildings in the old city of Tartous in Syria during the summer. Two data collection methodologies have been used. A survey of 191 responses during August, the hottest month in Syria, was administered to obtain the residents’ responses to their environment. In the meantime, an indoor physical measurement was taken simultaneously in three non-air-conditioned historic residences to provide quantitative data on the actual conditions in the buildings. The indoor climates of the selected structures have been described and analyzed in terms of air temperature, mean radiant temperature, relative humidity and air velocity. The clothing insulation was also characterized. To evaluate the comfort temperature in the historic residences, the thermal comfort indices (PMV and PPD) and the comfort temperature band were determined, and the predicted neutral temperature was found to be nearly 26.42 °C. The results obtained in this survey were compared with the previous studies and ASHRAE Standard 55. The results could be useful for future studies’ framework and as a baseline for a local thermal comfort standard, where the thermal comfort field survey data and adaptive comfort standard in Syria are not available.