Evaluation of Indoor Environmental Quality in Classrooms: an Italian Field Study

A field study on the evaluation of environmental conditions in schools, by means of an objective and a subjective approach, has been performed in eight classrooms of three Italian educational buildings. The monitoring covered the second part of the school year (February to June 2011) and 187 pupils, from 9 to 11 years old, have been asked to answer to a specific survey. The monitoring consists on spot and long-term measurement; the survey has been administrated three times. Air temperature and relative humidity were recorded in each classroom during the whole period, while other indoor parameters, like CO2 concentration or illuminance, were measured during questionnaire filling. Measured and perceived microclimatic conditions have been hence compared and a non uniform and clear correspondence has been found. The three buildings have been compared in terms of microclimatic conditions, building-related factors and interaction occupant-building by innovative nonparametric statistical techniques. A correspondence between measurements and personal feelings (e.g. thermal discomfort in the hot season and the excessive solar penetration in some classrooms reflect pupils’ complains) has been found. Building elements sound insulation and internal acoustic conditions have been measured and pupils were asked about the acoustic perception and annoyance, in order to correlate their answers with the recorded values. The purpose of this research was not merely to present a case study, but also to draw up a road-map that could be applied when a building has to be evaluated on occupant-building interaction or need for repairs, in an optic of human-centred school.