A field survey in Calcutta. Architectural issues, thermal comfort and adaptive mechanisms in hot humid climates.

This paper presents and discusses results of a small-scale field survey on occupant comfort and related perceptions observed in two university buildings in Calcutta, India, in 2011. These buildings were free running and ventilated by fans. The study was made in two different days, collecting a full set of architectural observations, objective physical measurements and subjective assessments through questionnaires. The study found a neutral temperature of 30.9ºC from the regression of votes on the 7-points ASHRAE scale. These values are much higher than the comfort range of 23 – 26 °C specified by Indian Codes. This finding could have enormous energy implications to building design, HVAC design and practice in India. Results also indicate a higher neutral temperature, compared to previous studies. The role of humidity and air movement were further investigated. Multiple regression analysis helped in understanding the relative influence of each parameter for the comfort perception.