Natural ventilation and thermal comfort investigation of a hawker center in Singapore

Abstract

This study illustrates the use of a two-pronged approach to investigate the natural ventilation performance of an upgraded hawker center in Singapore. Field measurements and thermal comfort survey were conducted to evaluate the thermal comfort perceptions of the users of the hawker center, and the areas with poor thermal comfort conditions were identified. Wind tunnel tests were then carried out to determine the natural ventilation performance of the hawker center. The study also explores the impacts of four variations (increasing width of center passageway, openings in the roof, removal of end walls and increasing the roof height) on the natural ventilation. © 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.