ABSTRACT
It is widely accepted that research based on a few - say 5 people - cannot be generalised to apply to the many. What is not as widely questioned, however, is the application of research based on the many in the design for a few. Examples of user dissatisfaction with spaces based on established standards are common and familiar.
The ISO standard 7730 - which relies upon Fanger's equation for thermal comfort is used to demonstrate the fallacy that thermal conditions predicted to be satisfactory (with less than 10% PPD) are in fact satisfactory when individual eccentricities are taken into consideration. In research relating to diet and exercise, metabolic rates - both basal and activity-related - are understood to differ depending on weight, age, sex and fitness. This variation in metabolic rates can be as much as 20% for sex and age differences and as much as 50 to 90% for weight and fitness differences. Applying these figures into Fanger's equation provides a broader range of acceptable comfort temperatures than usual.
Additionally, habits formed as a result of the social, cultural, personal as well as political conditions further distort personal preferences. The consequences of these deliberations are explored in terms of their implications on architectural design and indoor air temperature standards (IATS").
