Norhati Ibrahim

Urban outdoor thermal comfort prediction for public square in moderate and dry climate

Thermal condition is a decisive factor which impacts the use of outdoor spaces. Concerns on outdoor thermal conditions are on the rise judging by the growing number of research on the subject. However empirical research in the context of urban outdoor in moderate and dry climate is still limited. Predicting thermal comfort of outdoor spaces in a particular setting is essential to ensure continuous return of visitors and users. This paper aims to establish the thermal acceptable temperature range applicable for an urban context in temperate and dry climate zone based on the physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) index. Two fieldwork experiments were conducted through environmental measurements and questionnaire survey performed in winter of 2009 and summer of 2010 at a public square in Esfahan, Iran. These data were used for the thermal comfort assessment, supported by the RayMan model for the calculation of the mean radiant temperature (Tmrt) and PET. The study established the acceptable thermal comfort range to be between 12.3 and 30.9 deg C which is relatively wider then past studies.

Outdoor thermal comfort of two public squares in temperate and dry region of Esfahan, Iran

This paper presents a study on outdoor thermal comfort in a temperate and dry climate based on a field survey conducted in Esfahan, Iran. Studies on outdoor thermal comfort have mostly concentrated on street canyons and few on public squares. This study utilized ASHRAEs Thermal Sensation Vote (TSV) to assess peoples acceptance of the outdoor thermal comfort conditions with a data recording technique and observing thermal adaptation behavior of the people at two public squares in the heritage areas of the city. The fieldwork was a short-term survey during an extreme period of cold winter. The study was performed for a full week at each square in December 2009 and January 2010. Air temperature, RH, wind speed and solar radiation were measured. The preliminary results revealed that people visiting the squares in cold season mostly felt comfortable with the air temperature and sunlight. They prefered a higher humidity condition and a little more wind. Areas in the squares with water elements seemed to have attracted more people with majority of the respondents satisfied with the outdoor thermal condition resulting in higher percentage of TSVs within the three central categories. People seemed to prefer a square that offers longer episodes of sun-exposed periods and higher air movement in the winter.

Quality management (QM) practices in Facilities Management (FM) organisation: A case study in Malaysia

Quality management is known as one of the key approaches adopted by various organisaitons to realise the goal of meeting customer satisfaction. It is also no exception to Facilities Management (FM) organisation. This paper explores the practices of quality management in an FM organisation. The research applies questionnaire distribution approach to seek feedback from occupants who work at, and manage Common User Buildings in Malaysia. The quality management practices that were evaluated consist of people, process and technology components. From the results, it can be concluded that the state of quality management for the case study is high for people and process components and moderate for technology components. The findings suggests that quality management in FM organisation needs strengthening, particularly on the technology aspect. The outcome of the paper provides an insight on the state of the quality management practices in FM organisation in Malaysia.