Thermal Comfort

Building on our previous successful ARC Discovery Grant (DP 180102019), we are currently working with Professor Veronica Soebarto and her team (Dr Larissa Martins, Post doctoral fellow) on the following grant (DP220103213).

Grant title

Developing resilient housing for low socio-economic older people

The project involved (1) a focus group study and qualitative data collection involving 46 participants and (2) a 9-month environmental monitoring study of 42 houses of older adults living independently. All participants were residents of the Local Council Areas of Charles Sturt, Salisbury, Port Adelaide Enfield, Playford and Murray Bridge in South Australia.

Preliminary results show, among other correlations, consistent differences in thermal sensation found between older people with different sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions and frailty status. House details were also found to be different between socioeconomic groups, affecting not only the overall thermal quality of environments, but also thermal perception and behaviours.

We are currently writing up the manuscripts for submission to journals. We hope that the project findings will be used to develop tailored design guidelines for the cohort, in order to support healthier, thermally comfortable, energy efficient and resilient living environments for all.

Recent publications

By	Title
Soebarto, V…Visvanathan R, … (2021)	Thermal Comfort at Home: A Guide for Older South Australians. The University of Adelaide View this publication
Arakawa Martins, L., Williamson, T., Bennetts, H., Zuo, J., Visvanathan, R., Hansen, A., . . . Soebarto, V. (2020)	Individualising thermal comfort models for older people: the effects of personal characteristics on comfort and wellbeing. In S. Roaf, F. Nicol, & W. Finlayson (Eds.), Proceedings of the 11th Windsor Conference on Thermal Comfort: Resilient Comfort (pp. 187-199). online: Windsor.
Williamson, T., Soebarto, V., Bennetts, H., Arakawa Martins, L., Pisaniello, D., Hansen, A., . . . van Hoof, J. (2022)	Assessing human resilience: A study of thermal comfort, wellbeing and health of older people. In F. Nicol, H. B. Rijal, & S. Roaf (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Resilient Thermal Comfort (1 ed., pp. 108-127). Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire: Taylor & Francis.

By

Title

Soebarto, V…Visvanathan R, … (2021)

Thermal Comfort at Home: A Guide for Older South Australians. The University of Adelaide

View this publication

Arakawa Martins, L., Williamson, T., Bennetts, H., Zuo, J., Visvanathan, R., Hansen, A., . . . Soebarto, V. (2020)

Individualising thermal comfort models for older people: the effects of personal characteristics on comfort and wellbeing. In S. Roaf, F. Nicol, & W. Finlayson (Eds.), Proceedings of the 11th Windsor Conference on Thermal Comfort: Resilient Comfort (pp. 187-199). online: Windsor.

Williamson, T., Soebarto, V., Bennetts, H., Arakawa Martins, L., Pisaniello, D., Hansen, A., . . . van Hoof, J. (2022)

Assessing human resilience: A study of thermal comfort, wellbeing and health of older people. In F. Nicol, H. B. Rijal, & S. Roaf (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Resilient Thermal Comfort (1 ed., pp. 108-127). Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire: Taylor & Francis.