Investigating thermal comfort in traditional adobe buildings in warm-humid climates: a case study of Ilorin heritage buildings in Nigeria

As global temperatures continue to rise, the need for sustainable and energy-efficient building design is more pressing than ever. Traditional adobe buildings have been used for centuries in warm-humid climates due to their ability to regulate indoor temperatures and provide thermal comfort. The Ilorin heritage buildings in Nigeria are a testament to the sustainable building practices of traditional communities in warm-humid climates. Consequently, understanding human thermal discomfort is a significant issue in providing residents of buildings with solutions to heat stress through various cooling options. This study employs a subjective evaluation approach of the thermal comfort of traditional residential buildings in a warm, humid climate, focusing on Ilorin adobe heritage buildings as a case study. A mixed-method approach was employed to collect data on environmental and human parameters, including an objective aspect that was utilized to discuss the thermal comfort set point only and a field survey of the users' perception of thermal comfort, indoor environmental measurements, and post-occupancy evaluation through the administration of questionnaires. The questionnaire was carefully designed to understand the impact of factors that affect thermal comfort such as the indoor temperature, humidity, and subjective thermal sensation and thermal preference experienced by the occupants of the Ilorin traditional adobe residential buildings thus, this study is based on the compilation of responses from the conducted survey. The study further identifies the factors contributing to thermal discomfort in the construction of traditional buildings, including the wrong application of building materials, passive design strategies, and cultural practices. The qualitative data reveals that cultural background and social norms influence the occupants' perception of comfort. The results show the potential of traditional Adobe buildings in terms of indoor comfort provision to users, despite the prevailing warm and humid climatic conditions.