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Managing Thermal Comfort within the Residential Context of a Developing Region. A Field Investigation Based on Two Socioeconomically Distinct Households.

Abdulkareem, Haval and Schoenefeldt, Henrik and Nikolopoulou, Marialena (2020) Managing Thermal Comfort within the Residential Context of a Developing Region. A Field Investigation Based on Two Socioeconomically Distinct Households. In: Roaf, Susan and Nicol, Fergus and Finlayson, William, eds. 11th Windsor Conference 2020: Resilient Comfort. The Windsor Conference, pp. 673-681. ISBN 978-1-916187-63-4. (KAR id:81285)

Abstract

Paying particular attention to the relationship between the inhabitants and the physical performance of the environment they occupy and the factors shaping that relationship is believed to be fundamental when conducting building performance researches. This paper follows that approach in examining the management and control of the indoor thermal environment within a sample of socioeconomically distinct households based in Iraqi Kurdistan (KRI). This is undertaken through a close coupling of qualitative and quantitative investigations employing a combination of in situ measurements, observations, and in-depth interviews capturing inhabitant’s behavioural control actions with respect to the performance of their dwellings. The paper tends to develop a type of tentative hypothesis which can help structuring a framework to explore what the questions of thermal comfort and environmental control mean within the residential context of KRI. The investigations reveal how occupants’ engagement in adjusting indoor conditions is shaped by non-thermal factors, mainly socio-economic ones, and so environmental design in such context requires a stronger focus on that.

Item Type: Book section
Uncontrolled keywords: Socio-technical approach, Adaptive behaviour, Thermal comfort, Environmental control, Fuel poverty
Subjects: T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Arts and Humanities > Kent School of Architecture and Planning
Depositing User: Henrik Schoenefeldt
Date Deposited: 17 May 2020 20:59 UTC
Last Modified: 06 Dec 2022 23:09 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/81285 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Abdulkareem, Haval.

Creator's ORCID:
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Schoenefeldt, Henrik.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1768-0255
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Nikolopoulou, Marialena.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0528-2145
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