THERMAL COMFORT SURVEY OF OUTDOOR SPACES IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

A thermal comfort study has been executed in six urban outdoor spaces in Singapore. The field study was conducted during the period of December 2017 to November 2018, where objective measurement and subjective analysis were carried out on multiple days at each location. There were a total of 2755 respondents and effective questionnaire responses collected for the purpose of this study. Thermal comfort perceptions and preferences were analysed in this study and compared against objective measured data. Correlation analysis indicates that dry bulb temperature (°C), globe temperature (°C ) and relative humidity (%) have a great significance level on human thermal comfort sensation and perception in outdoor urban spaces. The respondents rated their thermal comfort sensation rate based on the ASHRAE 7-point scale, where the subjective data was collected to determine the thermal preference of individuals in Singapore. This study also compares the objective measured data against all six locations of a mix of commercial areas, HDB estates and parks. Thorough statistical and qualitative analyses were carried out to seek to identify key differences in outdoor thermal comfort in different urban spaces in Singapore, the thermal acceptable range of respondents in Singapore, and how each variable affects the respondent’s perception of thermal comfort. The comparative analysis shows that there are no major differences in the recorded objective measurement and subjective perception in the different use of urban spaces. The results suggests that individuals in Singapore are more tolerant with heat stress due to acclimatization and adaptive behaviour.