ABSTRACT
This paper outlines the changing role of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in shaping thermal comfort research during the second half of the 20th century. During that time, the comfort research community grew considerably, while ASHRAE’s role became smaller. Yet, it remained vital. ASHRAE engineers established the basic comfort research methods and ASHRAE funding supported subsequent scientific advances fundamental to the two principal comfort models, the Predicted Mean Vote index and the Adaptive Thermal Comfort model. The Society’s changing role highlights how a multi-disciplinary approach was embedded in comfort research, how industrial and academic ties shaped inquiry, how opposing viewpoints were addressed within the research community, and how the network of comfort researchers expanded from the Unites States to Europe, Australia, and Asia.
