[Article] Adaptive Thermal Comfort Assessment in Residential Buildings Under Current and Future Mediterranean Climate Scenario

As climate change accelerates across the Mediterranean basin, one of the most important questions facing building scientists, architects, and policymakers is not only how much warmer buildings will become, but how occupants will adapt to these changes. Our latest study addresses this question through field investigations, occupant surveys, building performance simulations, and future climate projections for residential buildings in Algiers, Algeria:

Tellache, A., Lazri, Y., Laafer, A., & Attia, S. (2025). Adaptive Thermal Comfort Assessment in Residential Buildings Under Current and Future Mediterranean Climate Scenarios. Buildings, 15(17), 3171. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15173171

🔍 One of the most significant findings is that occupants living in naturally ventilated (free-running) residential buildings exhibit a neutral temperature approximately 2-3°C higher than predicted by conventional comfort standards. This reflects the capacity of occupants to adapt through clothing adjustment, window operation, shading practices, air movement, and behavioral adaptation. However, this adaptive comfort temperature is not static.

As outdoor temperatures increase under future climate scenarios, comfort expectations and adaptive responses will continue to shift. Our simulations indicate that thermal discomfort is projected to increase substantially by 2050 and 2100, with overheating becoming one of the dominant challenges for Mediterranean housing. Bedrooms were identified as particularly vulnerable spaces during extreme heat events.

📊 The study also highlights important differences between commonly used adaptive comfort standards. While some models better capture temperature adaptation, others are more sensitive to humidity effects. This raises important questions regarding the applicability of international comfort standards in Mediterranean and Arab-Region contexts.

🌍 Why does this matter?

This is among the first comprehensive studies investigating adaptive thermal comfort in residential buildings under future climate change scenarios for the Maghreb and Arab Region. The findings align with a growing body of evidence from the Arab world across latitudes roughly between 15° and 35° North, showing that occupants in warm climates consistently accept and adapt to higher indoor temperatures than those assumed in many standards (ASHRAE 55 was used for this study) developed for temperate regions. This is also in line with our work in the Sahel Region and West Africa.

Perhaps the most important implication extends beyond thermal comfort itself.

The transition toward low-carbon and net-zero buildings in warm climates cannot rely exclusively on better technologies, thicker insulation, or more efficient cooling systems. Adaptive occupant behavior is likely to become one of the cornerstones of future building decarbonization strategies. If occupants can comfortably tolerate indoor temperatures that are 2-3°C higher in naturally ventilated buildings, cooling demand, peak electricity loads, and operational carbon emissions can be significantly reduced.

The future of low-carbon housing may therefore depend not only on smarter buildings, but also on a better understanding of how people adapt to changing climates.

Congratulations to Tellache asma, Youcef Lazri, and Abdelkader Laafer for this important contribution. Adamah MESSAN, Alphonse BOUDA, Césaire HEMA, Philbert Nshimiyimana, PhD, Eng

📘 Full article: https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/335615

📚 Learn more about our research https://www.sbd.uliege.be/

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