Examining the Impact and Perception of Thermal Comfort on Student Performance in Architectural Studios
Well-designed and thermally comfortable educational environments significantly enhance academic performance, concentration, and general well-being. The thermal conditions within these spaces are closely linked to students’ learning outcomes and health. In tropical Nigeria, rising temperatures, particularly during the dry season, have negatively affected the thermal comfort of educational facilities. Architecture students, who spend considerable time in design studios, often encounter uncomfortable thermal conditions intensified by climate change and insufficient design considerations. This research explored how thermal comfort influences students’ productivity and well-being, aiming to enhance students’ academic performance and physical, mental, and social health. A structured questionnaire was distributed to 185 architecture students, and 171 responses were collected for analysis. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were employed to evaluate the data at different research levels. The results reveal that environmental factors such as temperature, ventilation, and humidity impact productivity, performance, and concentration levels. Lower temperatures, especially during the harmattan season, may improve the performance. Ventilation and air quality also affect performance, but the concentration is situation-dependent. The study concludes that insufficient thermal comfort adversely affects productivity, contributing to psychological challenges and decreased student performance. It is recommended that architects adopt design features that ensure proper ventilation and incorporate passive design strategies to enhance the thermal quality of learning spaces.
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References
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APA
Obi-george, L.C., Ifebi, O., Adegoke, S.A., Nzewi, N.U., Eze, C.J., & Maduka, N.M. (2025). Examining the Impact and Perception of Thermal Comfort on Student Performance in Architectural Studios. Journal of Technology in Architecture, Design, and Planning, 3(1), 70-85. https://doi.org/10.26650/JTADP.25.002
AMA
Obi-george L C, Ifebi O, Adegoke S A, Nzewi N U, Eze C J, Maduka N M. Examining the Impact and Perception of Thermal Comfort on Student Performance in Architectural Studios. Journal of Technology in Architecture, Design, and Planning. 2025;3(1):70-85. https://doi.org/10.26650/JTADP.25.002
ABNT
Obi-george, L.C.; Ifebi, O.; Adegoke, S.A.; Nzewi, N.U.; Eze, C.J.; Maduka, N.M. Examining the Impact and Perception of Thermal Comfort on Student Performance in Architectural Studios. Journal of Technology in Architecture, Design, and Planning, [Publisher Location], v. 3, n. 1, p. 70-85, 2025.
Chicago: Author-Date Style
Obi-george, Lilian Chioma, and Oluchi Chinenye Ifebi and Saheed Adeyemi Adegoke and Nnamaka Ugochukwu Nzewi and Chukwudum Jasper Eze and Nkechi Maryann Maduka. 2025. “Examining the Impact and Perception of Thermal Comfort on Student Performance in Architectural Studios.” Journal of Technology in Architecture, Design, and Planning 3, no. 1: 70-85. https://doi.org/10.26650/JTADP.25.002
Chicago: Humanities Style
Obi-george, Lilian Chioma, and Oluchi Chinenye Ifebi and Saheed Adeyemi Adegoke and Nnamaka Ugochukwu Nzewi and Chukwudum Jasper Eze and Nkechi Maryann Maduka. “Examining the Impact and Perception of Thermal Comfort on Student Performance in Architectural Studios.” Journal of Technology in Architecture, Design, and Planning 3, no. 1 (Jul. 2025): 70-85. https://doi.org/10.26650/JTADP.25.002
Harvard: Australian Style
Obi-george, LC & Ifebi, O & Adegoke, SA & Nzewi, NU & Eze, CJ & Maduka, NM 2025, 'Examining the Impact and Perception of Thermal Comfort on Student Performance in Architectural Studios', Journal of Technology in Architecture, Design, and Planning, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 70-85, viewed 13 Jul. 2025, https://doi.org/10.26650/JTADP.25.002
Harvard: Author-Date Style
Obi-george, L.C. and Ifebi, O. and Adegoke, S.A. and Nzewi, N.U. and Eze, C.J. and Maduka, N.M. (2025) ‘Examining the Impact and Perception of Thermal Comfort on Student Performance in Architectural Studios’, Journal of Technology in Architecture, Design, and Planning, 3(1), pp. 70-85. https://doi.org/10.26650/JTADP.25.002 (13 Jul. 2025).
MLA
Obi-george, Lilian Chioma, and Oluchi Chinenye Ifebi and Saheed Adeyemi Adegoke and Nnamaka Ugochukwu Nzewi and Chukwudum Jasper Eze and Nkechi Maryann Maduka. “Examining the Impact and Perception of Thermal Comfort on Student Performance in Architectural Studios.” Journal of Technology in Architecture, Design, and Planning, vol. 3, no. 1, 2025, pp. 70-85. [Database Container], https://doi.org/10.26650/JTADP.25.002
Vancouver
Obi-george LC, Ifebi O, Adegoke SA, Nzewi NU, Eze CJ, Maduka NM. Examining the Impact and Perception of Thermal Comfort on Student Performance in Architectural Studios. Journal of Technology in Architecture, Design, and Planning [Internet]. 13 Jul. 2025 [cited 13 Jul. 2025];3(1):70-85. Available from: https://doi.org/10.26650/JTADP.25.002 doi: 10.26650/JTADP.25.002
ISNAD
Obi-george, LilianChioma - Ifebi, Oluchi Chinenye - Adegoke, SaheedAdeyemi - Nzewi, NnamakaUgochukwu - Eze, ChukwudumJasper - Maduka, NkechiMaryann. “Examining the Impact and Perception of Thermal Comfort on Student Performance in Architectural Studios”. Journal of Technology in Architecture, Design, and Planning 3/1 (Jul. 2025): 70-85. https://doi.org/10.26650/JTADP.25.002