Occupant Perceptions of Thermal Comfort in Contemporary Condominium Buildings

Thermal comfort significantly influences occupants’ perception of the indoor environmental quality of their homes and can impact occupant health. Previous studies in North American high-rise post-war multi-family (MF) residential buildings have shown a high prevalence of thermal discomfort amongst occupants during both the summer and winter periods. However, despite the recent boom in high-rise condominium building construction, little is known about occupant thermal comfort in contemporary MF buildings. In this study, the occupants of 57 suites in two recently constructed high-rise condominium buildings, located in Toronto, Canada, were surveyed regarding their perception of the thermal comfort in their suites. Over half of all participants reported discomfort in one or more rooms of their suites in both the summer and winter months despite the presence of in-suite HVAC controls in all studied suites. Suite layout, floor number, orientation and HVAC sizing appear to influence occupant thermal comfort in the studied suites, indicating the importance of their consideration in future MF building design.