Assessment of comfort in ten types of post tsunami house in banda aceh, Indonesia

Following the tsunami in December 2004 in Aceh, Indonesia, there has been a massive programme of rebuilding permanent houses for the tsunami victims. The houses are of various designs, and the internal conditions and thermal performance vary considerably. This paper is aimed at assessing comfort in a number of these houses, and is based on measurements from ten designs of post tsunami houses conducted between 22nd May and 4th July 2009. These ten house types are categorized by different form, design and materials, two houses of each type being represented in the results. Air and surface temperatures, relative humidity, and air velocity were measured and questionnaires on thermal comfort were filled in by the occupants. The results show an interesting range of temperature and humidity, ranging from 250C-380C indoors and 210C-41.40C outdoors, relative humidity of 40%-86% indoors, compared with 26%-98% outdoors. The households qualify their house comfort by voting seven thermal sensation scales.