Field study of indoor thermal environment of school buildings with different building envelopes, structures, floors and partitions

Abstract

A conventional Auckland school has a number of low-rise, isolated buildings with light weight structures and building envelopes (see Figure 1). In 90% of Auckland schools, each isolated building only has one to four classrooms. In 50% of Auckland schools, each isolate building has only one to two classrooms (see Figure 2). The redevelopment of Avondale College, in West Auckland, from 2010 to 2014, represented one of the biggest school rebuilding programs in New Zealand’s history. This was the first time that insulated precast concrete panels had been used as the main structure and building envelope for a new school building in New Zealand, which provided an opportunity for us to do this comparison study of school buildings with or without thermal mass.