Building transition spaces, comfort and energy use

This paper describes research concerned with comfort in transition spaces. Transition spaces are entrance foyers, lobbies, atriums, corridors and other spaces through which people pass in travelling between the exterior and interior environment, or between different interior spaces. Such spaces tend to have higher energy requirements because of their stronger linkage with variations in the external climate. Transition spaces also offer opportunities too: they can act to condition occupant response when moving between zones, and occupant expectations for comfort in such zones may also be less stringent than for more continuously occupied spaces. The paper discusses these issues and includes analysis of occupants surveyed whilst passing through transition spaces. Results indicate that a wider interpretation of comfort bands is possible and that energy savings could be made.