Evaluation of Thermal Comfort Conditions in Traditional Mud Buildings of South-Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

The issue of occupant thermal comfort is paramount in the discussion of sustainable housing. In the case of Sub-Saharan Africa where majority of the population live in Low-cost houses, identifying the best solutions to indoor thermal comfort is of significant value. This study was conducted in order to gather information on the thermal and climatic conditions as well as the thermal preferences of occupants of traditional mud houses in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria. The data collected through physical measurement and surveys were subjected to descriptive analysis. Graphs and normal distribution tables were used to determine the comfort temperature, thermal sensation and thermal preference of the occupants.  The result of the study showed that thermal comfort has significant value as well as indicated that more research is required in some of the aspects of the study, especially in the area of design, performance of traditional building materials and other variables that determine thermal comfort in the traditional mud residential buildings in the study area.

Keywords: Thermal comfort, traditional buildings, mud houses, thermal sensation, thermal preferences, south-eastern Nigeria