Abstract
For the reduction of greenhouse gases emission, it is fundamental to build energy efficient buildings. In this context, the comfort of occupants plays a central role: the missing application of comfort concepts during the design phase or the refurbishment of an existing building can lead both to a higher energy consumption and to a lower productivity of occupants in working areas. Technical standards, differentiated depending on the building use, could help into the fulfillment of the comfort requirements. Physiotherapy facilities are peculiar environments, which might be categorized under healthcare or sports' facilities. This peculiarity depends on the type of therapies performed, which can be static or dynamic. Moreover, these environments are shared by physiotherapists and patients, who have different metabolic rates, clothing levels, positions in the rooms, age and health status. For these reasons, not much regarding physiotherapy facilities is available in comfort standards. In this study, the comfort conditions in five physiotherapy centers were analyzed during different periods of the year. Two of the centers are located in Bolzano, Northern Italy, and three in Copenhagen, Denmark. The study was done by means of an objective and a subjective analysis. Long- and short-term measurements of the main parameters affecting comfort were taken. Four main aspects of comfort were considered: 1. thermal; 2. visual; 3. indoor air quality; 4. acoustical. As regards the subjective assessment, questionnaires were used and filled by therapists and patients before and after the therapies. Two ASHRAE 7- points scales of satisfaction and sensation were used to evaluate the thermal comfort. Light, daylight, indoor air quality and acoustics were evaluated by means of satisfaction scales, together with multiple choice questions to detect the main comfort issues noticed by the occupants. Questions about date, time, clothing items worn, and room where the therapies were performed permitted to correlate the answers given by occupants with the measurements and the conditions at which the therapies were performed. Due to the number of questionnaires collected, two centers of Bolzano and two centers of Copenhagen were considered for the analysis during the heating season. Data to perform the analysis also during the non-heating season were available in one center of Bolzano and one of Copenhagen. Particular focus was given to the thermal aspects of comfort, evaluating: 1. the comfort ranges of the occupants; 2. the relationship between the answers obtained by the two scales of satisfaction and sensation; 3. the dependence of patients' satisfaction and sensation on their gender, age, health status and worn clothing insulation; 4. the differences between the perceptions of therapists and patients and the change of perception of patients during the therapy; 5. the applicability of PMV-PPD model and, when possible, of the adaptive model, by the comparison of their results with the thermal sensation expressed by therapists and patients. Visual comfort was studied trying to determinate the aspects which most affect light and daylight satisfaction. The differences between light and daylight satisfaction were studied, taking into account the type of occupant, the presence of windows, the illuminance and the season. Statistical tests were performed to detect the differences of light and daylight satisfaction between therapists and patients, and the statistical differences between light and daylight satisfaction given by the same type of occupants. A descriptive analysis of indoor air quality and acoustical comfort was also made, highlighting the main issues depending on the environments, the type of occupants and the season. 1 The results of this study can be exploited to develop guidelines and standards for the design of comfortable environments in physical therapy facilities.