Investigation of thermal comfort in semi-open spaces (a case study of vernacular houses in Rasht)

Due to improper energy consumption, the earth is facing warming and climate change. The share of the building is about 40% of the total energy consumption. The vernacular architecture of Guilan could adapt to its context during the time and developed to reach efficient energy consumption. Semi-open spaces are One of the constituent elements of Guilan's vernacular houses widely used in this building under various forms such as Iwan and Telaar. However, the lack of enclosure and the high relationship between these spaces and outside causes great thermal changes, which vary people's thermal sensation. This study aims to determine the people’s thermal comfort in semi-open spaces of these houses. First, the climate of Rasht was studied, then three vernacular houses of Rasht with three types of semi-open space in terms of the enclosure were selected and analyzed. Then, people’s thermal comfort of these spaces assessed by collecting environmental parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, and air velocity, simultaneously acquired the thermal sensation of the object through the questionnaire. Finally, it concludes that these spaces in Rasht can provide thermal comfort to people from 17.75 to 29.25 c, which is about 20% of the cold season. It also finds that the thermal comfort range of these spaces is so close to internal spaces in the cold season of this climate.