Thermal comfort in the modern movement - evaluating the winter behavior of a housing building in Porto, Portugal

Abstract

This study aims to examine how the original construction systems implemented in a modern movement apartment building affect its winter thermal comfort. The importance of analyzing the avant-garde and distinctive buildings of this period is linked to the need to define appropriate and specific strategies for their reuse, maintenance and restoration, in order to assess how these buildings can maintain their original integrity and identity. In this study, thermal measurements and simulations were carried out to check whether the indoor conditions meet today’s standards considering an adaptive comfort model. We can conclude that thermal passive comfort is essential to the concept of architectural space, shape and distribution of functions developed by the designers of our case study building. This research provides the basis for defining respectful restoration interventions in architectural heritage of the Modern Movement. It also tries to show that contemporary needs and requirements regarding thermal comfort can be achieved with the occupancy of the dwellings with minimal adjustments and interventions in the existing constructive systems.