Passive design strategies to improve student thermal comfort: A field study in semi-outdoor spaces of academic buildings in hot-humid areas

Provide a high level of thermal comfort in university buildings, conducive to encouraging different activities and interactions of students. This study aims to evaluate and improve student thermal comfort in semi-outdoor spaces of academic buildings. Firstly, we evaluated each semi-outdoor environment including courtyards and overhead spaces of an academic building, Guangzhou University, located in a hot-humid climate, based on field measurements and a questionnaire survey. Then, the ENVI-met software was used to simulate 36 design scenarios including 6 species of trees and 6 tree canopy coverage (TCC) to predict student thermal comfort in semi-outdoor spaces. The results showed: 1) Air temperature (T-a), and mean radiation temperature (T-mrt) were the primary meteorological factors influencing students' thermal sensation in courtyards, while T-a was the main meteorological factor affecting students' thermal sensation in overhead spaces. 2) The acceptable upper limits of Physiological equivalent temperature (PET) and the upper boundaries of thermal stress were 30.6 degrees C and 54.7 degrees C, respectively. 3) Trees with high Leaf area index (LAI) and considerable height can provide better thermal comfort for courtyards and overhead spaces. The findings derived from this study have significant implications for the planning and design of climate-resilient environments.