Statistical model evaluation and calibrations for outdoor comfort assessment in South Florida

In tropical and subtropical areas, people can spend more time outdoors than in other latitudes. Understanding the sensitivity of outdoor comfort is a fundamental element for architects and urban designers working in these specific climates. This study is part of a research project attempting to relate climatic influences and human thermal sensation. The primary objective of this funded research is to study the influence of climatic parameters in outdoor comfort. This paper analyzes the climatic parameters such as temperature, radiation, humidity, and wind speed in four selected public spaces in the downtown area of the city of Fort Lauderdale, Southeast Florida. The climatic data was correlated with thermal sensation surveys of occupants using selected public spaces. This paper presents data from the surveys, evaluates two existing statistical models, and proposes two calibrated statistical models to predict thermal comfort based on the values of mean radiant temperature, wind velocity, relative humidity, and air temperature. The analysis of this data will establish parameters for architects and urban planners to have a more appropriate design for specific outdoor public spaces in the area of Fort Lauderdale. This research project is funded by Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC) and Florida Atlantic University (FAU)Building TechnologyArchitectur