Análise das condições de conforto térmico em um shopping center em Natal/RN com base na avaliação pós-ocupação

Abstract

Buildings should meet the thermal confort needs of their users. This can be systematloally eyaluated thrqugh a number of measurlng tools thait ean effectlvely appraise quality control, among them the Post-Occupancy Evaluation of constructed environments. This research attempted to verify whether or not the thermal confort in shops and common areas are meeting the users’ needs in the Shopping Center Praia Shopping, in Natal/RN. This verification was done in two distinct periods by means of environmental variables, and from the users point of view, through the application of questionnaires. An attempt was also made to evaluate the overall construction in regard to design recommendations for hot-humid climates. The main hypothesis is that commercial space that is properly designed can do without artificial air conditioning, especially in common areas, without compromising thermal confort leveis. The statistical treatment and qualitative analysis of the collected data allowed for the discussion of the hypothesis, the presentation of conclusive results and the formulation of recommendations for the construction under investigation.