Thermal pleasure in built environments: physiology of alliesthesia
This article summarises a research paper 'Thermal pleasure in built environments: physiology of alliesthesia' by Thomas Parkinson & Richard de Dear published in 2015 in --Building Research & Information, 43:3, 288-301, DOI: 10.1080/09613218.2015.989662.
It is the second in a series exploring thermal alliesthesia in the context of indoor comfort.
It has long been recognised that our experience of thermal comfort is more complex than the steady-state heat balance adopted by many international standards which strive simply to achieve 'neutrality'.
As de Dear (2011) stated: If the very best that can be achieved in an isothermal, cool, dry and still indoor climate is 'neutral' or 'acceptable' for little more than 80% of a building's occupants at any one time, then the standards that have been set to date leave much to be desired.
The recent mainstreaming of 'adaptive comfort' begins to recognise the dynamic complexity of thermal comfort. However, 'thermal alliesthesia' goes beyond this, proposing that the hedonic qualities of the thermal environment (qualities of pleasantness or unpleasantness, or 'the pleasure principle') are determined as much by the general thermal state of the subject as by the environment itself. In its simplest form, cold stimuli will be perceived as pleasant by someone who is warm, whilst warm stimuli will be experienced as pleasant by someone who is cold.
The alliesthesia hypothesis suggests that non-steady-state environments where there are localised differences in skin temperature can create conscious experiences of thermal pleasure. The paper proposes that the alliesthesia concept is more complex than simple consideration of the relationship between core and skin temperature, and includes a spatial component. For example, we derive pleasure from wrapping cool hands around a warm mug.
The paper suggests that the concept of a one-size-fits-all approach to the provision of thermal comfort using centralised mechanical systems is flawed, and diversity in thermal preferences suggests criteria for evaluating comfort may need to be reconsidered. The implication is that standards for building services would focus more on providing the appropriate thermal conditions to the individual.
Non-steady-state thermal environments may give the potential to lift occupant satisfaction rates above 80%. To create instances of thermal pleasure, these dynamic effects need to be better understood, and solutions developed that excite the thermal sense and overcome thermal boredom.
Thomas Parkinson & Richard de Dear (2015) Thermal pleasure in built environments: physiology of alliesthesia, Building Research & Information, 43:3, 288-301, DOI: 10.1080/09613218.2015.989662
Read the full paper at Taylor & Francis Online.
See also: Healthy excursions outside the thermal comfort zone.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Cold stress.
- Comfort in low energy buildings.
- Dry-bulb temperature.
- Evolving opportunities for providing thermal comfort.
- Globe temperature.
- Healthy excursions outside the thermal comfort zone.
- Heat stress.
- Maximum and minimum workplace temperatures.
- Mean radiant temperature.
- Operative temperature.
- Overheating - assessment protocol.
- Predicted mean vote.
- Preventing overheating.
- Psychometric charts.
- Sling psychrometer.
- Temperature.
- The building as climate modifier.
- Thermal comfort.
- Thermal environment.
- Thermal indices.
- Wet-bulb temperature.
- Wet-bulb globe temperature.
[edit] External references
- de Dear, R. (2011). Revisiting an old hypothesis of human thermal perception: Alliesthesia. Building Research&Information, 39(2), 108–117.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09613218.2011.55226
Featured articles and news
The continued ISG fall out, where to go?
Support for ISG contractors, companies and employees.
New HES national centre for traditional building retrofit
Announced as HES publishes survey results which reveal strong support for retrofit.
Retrofit of Buildings, a CIOB Technical Publication
Expected to become one of the largest activities in the global construction industry.
The ECA industry focus video channel
Keeping update with the industry session by session.
Over 25 recorded informations sessions freely available.
AT Awards 2024 ceremony East London October 25th.
Revisiting the AT community at the 2023 awards evening.
The Community Housing Fund and built affordable homes
CLTN reviews the impact of the Fund and calls for extension.
The grading system of the Regulator for Social Housing
A background, an explanation and ten recent enforcements.
Construction, repair and maintenance. Book review.
Putting new life into a city with a 1900 year history.
BSRIA Briefing 2024: Sustainable Futures speakers
Redefining Retrofit for Net Zero Living 22 Nov.
Wall of support for post-Grenfell regulation of electricians
Call for a shake-up of the construction industry highlighted on radio.
Digital sustainability through future AEC tools
Bringing together industry and academia to meet challenges.
Skills gap for net zero highlighted to Minister for Industry
ECA convenes roundtable discussion at Portcullis House.
Evidencing Net Zero with the new UK buildings standard
Pilot version with detailed excel proforma out now!
Scottish Building Safety Levy, in consultation
From direct remediation and the RPDT, to the costs and alternatives.
Waves of warmer homes grants for the rental sector
Boosting energy efficiency standards for all rented homes.
A refocus of the National Planning Policy Framework
Key terms described in brief, as the consultation closes the evening of the 24th.
Fortified farmhouses of the unruly 16th-and 17th-century borders.