Dan Barry, Odin Lapholm, Will Ransom, Yuan Qi

Within the room there are numerous factors which affect the temperature.  These elements are present for a variety of reasons, some of which are intended to directly control an aspect of the temperature while others merely generate a secondary source of heat within the room as a byproduct of their primary actions.  The location of the primary factors in temperature control within the room are diagrammed above.  These factors include windows, radiators, adjacencies to the room, solar heat gain, and air registers.  Materiality also presents thermal variance within the room, therefor objects such as windows, walls, doors, tables, and every other object within the room presents a the space with a unique thermal condition based on its immediate surroundings.  In addition to this, items such as computers, electronic appliances, electric tools, and people may also present secondary heat sources within the room.  It is our intentions to investigate and map a variety of these factors in order to understand the thermal organization of the room.  These conditions will be initially monitored and mapped locally within each students work station in order to gain an understanding of the contributing factors to each students thermal conditions.  Work stations will then be monitored to track these conditions and cross referenced with a subjective analysis of  each students experience within the room.

WALL ELEVATIONS: CROSBY 315                                                                                     PLAN: CROSBY 315

Primary Thermal Factors:

Currently, the windows and exterior wall of the room are a significant source of cold air due to the seasonal climate of Buffalo.  On the contrary, the radiators below the windows are an enormous source of heat within the room.   From here it may be inferred that the temperature of the space is also heavily dependent on the ventilation system within the space.  Several small air ducts are placed along the interior wall of the space while a more significant portion of air circulation may be generated through the opening and closing of doors and windows within the space.  ‘Invisible’ to the eye, the selection of materials within the space also begin to determine the temperature.  Insulation within the walls provides for a significant thermal barrier while the materiality of the building also begins to affect the heat through its thermal mass.  Temperature has a natural tendency to fluctuate within the space due to the phenomena of heat rising.  This provides opportunity for cooler air to remain within the inhabited spaces of the room while the stale, warmer air circulates towards the top of the room and out through the ventilation ducts.

SECTION: CROSBY 315

Secondary Thermal Factors:

The introduction of people to a space immediately causes change in the homeostasis of temperature due to several factors including body heat generated from the inhabitant as well as the movements of inhabitant which generate air flow.  Additionally, the electronic instruments utilized by the users of a space also begin to generate heat as they perform.  Desktop computers generate a large source of heat due to their close proximity and continuous state of activity while laptop computers generate a slightly smaller source of heat due to their lack of density within the room.  In addition to computers, other electronic devices such as light bulbs, coffee machines, and mini refrigerators generate small heat sources while even smaller electronic devices such as glue guns and soldering irons also generate minor heat sources.

INITIAL COAT HANGER SYSTEM

Registering Inhabitation:

Through our initial investigation of the thermal properties within the room our interest was focused on the thermal conditions as perceived by the inhabitant.  In an attempt to zoom to the micro scale within the room, a coat hanger system which effectively ‘weighed’ your clothes in an attempt to estimate the level of thermal resistance your current clothing may provide.  Although an interesting concept, this system merely weighs the amount of cloths removed from the body rather than registering the amount of clothing currently retaining body heat.  With this it was realized that a more subjective and thorough analysis must be made in order to understand the inhabitants comfort level.  Several proposals will be investigated in an attempt to yield the most beneficial result.  These possibilities include an online survey which may completed either once or several times during inhabitation or an on desk remote system in which they user may use an interface composed of either buttons or a potentiometer in order to record their current comfort levels within the room.  The results of this analysis will be cross referenced with the quantifiable data in order to compare the measured atmosphere of the room (including light, temperature, humidity and air pressure) with the perceived atmosphere to the individual.


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