Understanding thermal comfort conditions in airport terminal buildings

This paper presents the results from the thermal comfort studies at three airport terminal buildings in the UK where seasonal on-site surveys were conducted. The investigation involved extensive monitoring of the indoor environmental conditions along with 3,087 questionnaire-guided interviews with terminal users. The paper quantifies the thermal requirements of the terminal population and focuses on the thermal perception of passengers and staff in different terminal spaces. The findings demonstrate the preference for a different thermal environment than the one experienced and that thermal neutrality is found to lie at lower temperatures than those experienced, suggesting an overheating issue, predominantly in winter. Passengers and staff present different satisfaction levels with the indoor environment while their thermal sensation is greatly affected from the characteristics and function of the terminal spaces.