Abstract

In shared spaces, adaptive actions can be limited by a coexistence factor, which has an impact on thermal expectations. This study aims to compare the perception of thermal comfort, comfort temperature and adaptive actions in individual and shared offices. Fieldwork was carried out in 9 office buildings in Concepción (36°S) and 8 in Santiago (33°S), Chile. In each building, the indoor environment was measured and thermal comfort surveys were administered at 3 different times during a winter day. The comfort temperature calculated showed variations from 0.3 to 1K between individual and shared spaces. In most cases, occupants of individual offices showed a greater preference for thermal variation than occupants of shared ones. Slightly more acceptability was found in individual spaces. Participants performed more adaptive actions in individual versus shared spaces, although this does not imply thermal discomfort. These findings suggest that the occupants of shared spaces have "adapted", since even when their comfort temperature is not equal to the indoor temperature, they declare that they accept the indoor environment and prefer no changes in it. This shows that thermal comfort varies according to the type of space and social constraints, which should be considered in design phase calculations.