Effect of building interface form on thermal comfort in gymnasiums in hot and humid climates

The thermal environment and thermal comfort of a building are greatly affected by the design of the building interface form. Most contemporary architectural designs consider only the relations between architectural form and architectural beauty. Few studies on the correlation of architectural form and thermal comfort address the influence of architectural form on thermal comfort and thermal environment. These studies are particularly important for gymnasium architectures located in hot and humid areas,which have high requirements for thermal comfort. This paper presents an experimental investigation and an analysis of the effect of the building interface form of gymnasiums on thermal comfort in hot and humid subtropical regions during summer. Results showed that the influence of the top interface forms on thermal comfort is mainly dominated by the mean radiant temperature, which could be controlled to improve thermal comfort. The influence of side interface forms on thermal comfort is mainly dominated by air velocity,and thermal comfort could be improved by promoting natural ventilation on the side interface form design to reduce indoor heat. This research enhanced our understanding of the relation between the interface form and the thermal comfort of gymnasiums. In addition, this paper provides a theoretical reference for the sustainable design of gymnasiums in hot and humid climates.