The thermal comfort in transitional spaces and its influence as an appeaser of the local microclimate

Transitional areas have specificities due to their constructive characteristics and to the way in which these spaces are influenced by the outdoor climate and the building which they belong to. There are few studies on this issue in Brazil. It's accepted that in hot environments regions, these areas can minimize the users' thermal impact in the transition indoor - outdoor and can provide pleasant local microclimate environments, creating more comfortable and receptive spaces. The goal of this study is to evaluate the importance of the transitional areas as an appeaser of local microclimate as well as the users' perception to this fact, adopting by study object two educational institutions of Piracicaba and Santa Bárbara D'Oeste, SP - Brazil. The methodology is based in the use of questionnaires, measurements of environmental parameters and the record of implantation and constructive characteristics of the analyzed environments, through sketches and notes. The measurements provided data for analysis of the transitional areas and classrooms' thermal behavior and the questionnaires were used to evaluate the users' thermal sensations, preferences and perceptions, through the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) calculation. The results of this research have shown that the choice of materials and the configuration of the transition area are fundamental to thermal comfort and also indicated that users understand the importance of this space as an appeaser of thermal impact caused by the temperatures difference between indoor and outdoor environments. The relevance of this research consists in showing that these areas may be comfortable spaces and nice environments, also contributing to environment's thermal comfort and providing better quality of life to their users, showing also potential support for energy saving. (AU)