Impact of Wood on Perception of Transient and Steady-State Indoor Thermal Environments

Wood is often used as an interior surface finish in buildings, including exposed cross-laminated timber panels and other structural mass timber members. Building occupants generally have a positive reaction to visible wood elements used in building interiors due to the visual qualities associated wi...

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Main Authors: Denise (Blankenberger) Gravelle, Jason Stenson, Mark Fretz, Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Buildings
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/10/1698
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author Denise (Blankenberger) Gravelle
Jason Stenson
Mark Fretz
Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg
author_facet Denise (Blankenberger) Gravelle
Jason Stenson
Mark Fretz
Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg
author_sort Denise (Blankenberger) Gravelle
collection DOAJ
description Wood is often used as an interior surface finish in buildings, including exposed cross-laminated timber panels and other structural mass timber members. Building occupants generally have a positive reaction to visible wood elements used in building interiors due to the visual qualities associated with wood being a natural material. This study aims to identify any thermal comfort impacts of wood interior environments using subjective occupant-reported perceived thermal sensation during two experiments conducted in a climate chamber fitted with either white-painted gypsum wallboard or unfinished laminated Douglas Fir wall panels. In the first experiment, the thermal environment was continually varied while the visual stimulus of the wall type remained constant. Irrespective of wood or white wall treatment type, thermal history played a significant role in the perceived thermal comfort of participants under continually modulating temperatures. In the second experiment, a slightly warm steady-state thermal environment was maintained while one of the two wall treatments was revealed from behind a black curtain. While the shift in thermal sensation toward neutral was greater with wood walls than with white walls, the difference was not found to be statistically significant and appears to diminish after 15 min of exposure to the new visual surroundings.
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spelling doaj-art-d3b446b046f04dd4b95408161af3f3612025-08-20T03:14:42ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092025-05-011510169810.3390/buildings15101698Impact of Wood on Perception of Transient and Steady-State Indoor Thermal EnvironmentsDenise (Blankenberger) Gravelle0Jason Stenson1Mark Fretz2Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg3Quinn Evans, Washington, DC 20037, USAEnergy Studies in Buildings Laboratory, College of Design, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USAEnergy Studies in Buildings Laboratory, College of Design, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USACollege of Architecture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USAWood is often used as an interior surface finish in buildings, including exposed cross-laminated timber panels and other structural mass timber members. Building occupants generally have a positive reaction to visible wood elements used in building interiors due to the visual qualities associated with wood being a natural material. This study aims to identify any thermal comfort impacts of wood interior environments using subjective occupant-reported perceived thermal sensation during two experiments conducted in a climate chamber fitted with either white-painted gypsum wallboard or unfinished laminated Douglas Fir wall panels. In the first experiment, the thermal environment was continually varied while the visual stimulus of the wall type remained constant. Irrespective of wood or white wall treatment type, thermal history played a significant role in the perceived thermal comfort of participants under continually modulating temperatures. In the second experiment, a slightly warm steady-state thermal environment was maintained while one of the two wall treatments was revealed from behind a black curtain. While the shift in thermal sensation toward neutral was greater with wood walls than with white walls, the difference was not found to be statistically significant and appears to diminish after 15 min of exposure to the new visual surroundings.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/10/1698cross-laminated timberperceived thermal comfortvisual preferenceclimate chamber
spellingShingle Denise (Blankenberger) Gravelle
Jason Stenson
Mark Fretz
Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg
Impact of Wood on Perception of Transient and Steady-State Indoor Thermal Environments
Buildings
cross-laminated timber
perceived thermal comfort
visual preference
climate chamber
title Impact of Wood on Perception of Transient and Steady-State Indoor Thermal Environments
title_full Impact of Wood on Perception of Transient and Steady-State Indoor Thermal Environments
title_fullStr Impact of Wood on Perception of Transient and Steady-State Indoor Thermal Environments
title_full_unstemmed Impact of Wood on Perception of Transient and Steady-State Indoor Thermal Environments
title_short Impact of Wood on Perception of Transient and Steady-State Indoor Thermal Environments
title_sort impact of wood on perception of transient and steady state indoor thermal environments
topic cross-laminated timber
perceived thermal comfort
visual preference
climate chamber
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/10/1698
work_keys_str_mv AT deniseblankenbergergravelle impactofwoodonperceptionoftransientandsteadystateindoorthermalenvironments
AT jasonstenson impactofwoodonperceptionoftransientandsteadystateindoorthermalenvironments
AT markfretz impactofwoodonperceptionoftransientandsteadystateindoorthermalenvironments
AT kevinvandenwymelenberg impactofwoodonperceptionoftransientandsteadystateindoorthermalenvironments