Estimating thermal comfort temperatures in outdoor spaces provides valuable information that can be used to generate design proposals whose environmental conditions ensures thermal comfort for the users. This study shows the estimated neutral temperature and thermal comfort ranges during the warm period in a public recreational green area located in a desert climate. It was carried out in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. A questionnaire was designed based on the scale of thermal sensation of ISO 10551, and measurements of dry bulb temperature, gray globe temperature, relative humidity and wind speed were taken. A total of 822 questionnaires were applied during the months of July and August 2008. The neutral temperature and comfort range were estimated using a statistical method of correlation. The analysis was undertaken for three activity levels, passive, moderate e intense, as well as for the three levels together. The neutral temperature values were approximately symmetrical with respect to the thermal comfort range. They also indicated that intensely active subjects who exercise regularly and have habits that are appropriate to the weather conditions had a comfort temperature similar to that of more passive subjects.
Adaptive model; thermal comfort; neutral temperature; thermal comfort ranges; outdoor spaces