Evaluation of Natural Daylight and Indoor Temperature Levels in Drawing Studios at Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Rumuola, Port Harcourt

Abstract

This study evaluates the adequacy of the natural daylight and indoor thermal conditions in four Architectural drawing studios at Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Since visual and thermal comfort are crucial in educational spaces, especially for tasks that require high visual sharpness like manual Architectural drafting. This research aims to assess the current studio designs to determine if they actually meet the recommended standards. Over the period of ten consecutive working days, measurements of illuminance (lux) and temperature were taken at two spots in each studio: the center and 1.2 meters from the window, at 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM. The results showed that while the areas near the windows got close to the ideal 750 lux for detailed work, the central areas were lacking, with some readings dropping to just 42.04 lux. Additionally, temperature readings consistently went beyond the comfortable range of 20°C to 26°C for optimal thermal comfort, hitting an average high of 31.10°C. These issues can be attributed to factors such as limited window to floor area ratios, poor window orientations, and interior finishes with low reflectance. The study highlights the urgent need for Architectural improvements, such as enhanced natural lighting solutions and passive cooling strategies, to enhance the indoor environment in educational buildings located in tropical climates.