Windows use in school buildings: findings on the influence of occupants’ actions

Abstract

Occupants usually interact with windows to restore their thermal comfort but in spaces densely occupied, as in schools, windows also are fundamental to achieve good IAQ and avoid health hazards. Many researchers investigated the user-window interaction to identify recurring patterns but such surveys in schools are lacking. This paper investigates this relationship in an Italian classroom, monitoring occupancy, environmental parameters and adaptive actions. The proposed behavioural models are driven by indoor and outdoor temperature since they have been identified as the triggers parameters for opening and closing actions.