Evaluation of Qualitative Variables Affecting Thermal Comfort in Outdoor Spaces in Line with Sustainable Design Thinking (Case Study: Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Isfahan)

Attention to human-centered features in architectural design to create levels of physical, functional andpsychological comfort, in line with attention to environmental and energy consumption management approaches,is nowadays considered an important and growing movement towards the definition of sustainable architecture. Thermalcomfort is a significant subset of this attention which can be examined in two physiological and psychological aspectsand is defined as "the condition of mind that expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment". With the assumptionthat "people are not inactive in environmental conditions", this study seeks to evaluate the qualitative human-centeredfactors affecting thermal perception by examining the possibility of redefining the upper and lower limits of thermalcomfort temperature in the environmental conditions of open spaces with the aim of improving the global standardtemperature and minimizing and managing energy consumption. It is based on library studies and field observationswhose data were collected using a questionnaire from the visitors to Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan in the cold seasonand appropriate solutions were presented after the results had been analyzed using SPSS 26. Results indicated that thearchitectural response to thermal comfort is influenced by qualitative and human-centered approaches, and adaptationand alliesthesia play a significant role in defining the acceptable human thermal environment and comfort temperature,which does not necessarily conform to the Design limits set by global standards and where calculations are not merelyquantitative and can be redefined depending on qualitative characteristics in Line with sustainable Design thinking