Effect of spatial ambience on thermal adaptation in tropics : case of free-running shared spaces in coastal hotels of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Accommodation sector accounts for 21% of the global CO2 emissions and the competitiveness of tourism industry in future is primarily depended on hotel energy efficiency which plays a vital role in eco-efficiency of tourist operations. Tourists on pleasure travel prefer hotels which promote environmentally friendly built environment with free-running interiors. Thus the study investigates the design implications of free-running shared spaces and the influence of spatial ambience on thermal adaptation of tourists in tropical coastal hotels. Selected case studies are most popular semi-residential coastal hotels designed by the renowned architect Geoffrey Bawa and the methodology is consists of indoor thermal investigation, structured questionnaire and interview survey. Thermal investigation informs a heat stress indoor thermal environments in the shared spaces. Comparison of the actual sensation with the predicted comfort votes explicitly highlights a discrepancy between the two. Thermally uncomfortable warm interiors are being predominantly perceived as neutral to cool thermal environments. Thus indicates the shared spaces demonstrate a stimulus for adaptive approach and informs to explore the factors influencing the psychological adaptation. Actual experiences of the tourists relaxing in the pool lobby of Heritance (PLH) were evident for the optimum effect of thermal adaptation in comparison to other shared spaces. The attributes of spatial ambience has influenced the feeling of thermal pleasure and pleasantness. These spatial experiences generated through openness and integration of surrounding environment has promoted psychological adaptation of the tourists relaxing in this space to tolerate heat stress indoor microclimates of tropics. Thus the findings of this research determine significance of spatial ambience as a strategy for energy efficiency of tropical hotels.