Combined Analysis of Acoustic Comfort and Other Human Occupancy-Related Parameters in a University School Building

As part of the EduClimAir project, this study aimed to improve indoor comfort conditions by experimentally evaluating acoustic, thermal, and visual comfort, as well as indoor air quality, in two classrooms with different ventilation types (natural and mechanical) at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra. Both classrooms are part of a living-lab setup where indoor environmental quality (IEQ) parameters (air temperature Ta, relative humidity RH, carbon dioxide CO2 and particulate matter PM concentrations, A-weighted equivalent continuous sound pressure level LAeq) are continuously monitored. Representative data across one semester (September through December) is presented in two phases and one day, highlighting the teaching period timeframe, LAeq_Work_P. One phase is a chronological sequence of one week of non-occupancy and one week of occupancy. Results during occupancy showed LAeq_Work_P reached up to 60 dBA (room 3.3) and 65 dBA (room 6.3) in the first phase, and up to 55 dBA (room 3.3) and 57 dBA (room 6.3) in the second phase. Noise was suboptimal, though considered moderate and tolerable in a university setting. During non-occupancy, LAeq_Work_P remained broadly within WHO/ANSI S12.60 limits in the first phase but often exceeded 40 dBA in the second phase due to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems operating during unoccupied days, a gap in energy management. An evaluation of noise, Ta, CO2, and PM interactions in one day suggests IEQ gaps. The study revealed HVAC management and IEQ gaps otherwise be missed outside a continuous monitoring and multidomain assessment approach.