Indoor Environmental Quality of Lecture-Halls at Cape Coast Technical University, Ghana

Doors and windows openings naturally ventilated classrooms thermal comfort Ghana

Authors

  • Zakari Mustapha Departmewnt of Construction Technology and Management, School of Built and Natural Environment, Cape Coast Technical University, P. Box DL. 50, Cape Coast, Ghana., Ghana
  • Mohammed D. H. Zebilila Department Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, Cape Coast Technical University, P.O Box DL. 50, Cape Coast, Ghana., Ghana
  • Benjamin Boahene Akomah Departmewnt of Construction Technology and Management, School of Built and Natural Environment, Cape Coast Technical University, P. Box DL. 50, Cape Coast, Ghana., Ghana
  • Samuel Kotey Departmewnt of Construction Technology and Management, School of Built and Natural Environment, Cape Coast Technical University, P. Box DL. 50, Cape Coast, Ghana., Ghana
  • John Y. Ampah Department Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, Cape Coast Technical University, P.O Box DL. 50, Cape Coast, Ghana., Ghana
Volume 2023
Research Articles
December 22, 2023

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Global climate change and global warming has contributed to increase in air temperature, both outdoor and indoor environments. Educational buildings are to provide a comfortable environment for teaching and learning activities. The rise in air temperature, density of occupants and range of activities in lecture-halls have resulted in indoor air environment discomfort for students. The study sough to determine the air quality of lecture-halls at Cape Coast Technical University (CCTU), Ghana. The variables for building-related factors of thermal comfort in a naturally ventilated lecture-halls were measured, by examining the design of the ventilation system and window opening, and closing behaviours. The administering of the questionnaire was done through "reference by reference" technique or "snowball" sampling technique. The main classroom blocks/lecture-halls within the intuition (New block, old block, building auditorium, electrical auditorium and marketing block) were covered during the administration of the questionnaires. Exploratory factor analysis was used for the data collected, and further factor extraction and factor rotation were conducted on the variables to identify non-observable and non-measurable variables. Extracted factors were rotated to obtain common factors by rank analysis and calculating their coefficients and factor loadings. Findings show that the classroom blocks/lecture halls had less than sixty students. Most of the classroom blocks/lecture halls had two (2) doors with louver blade windows, and one-meter interval as sitting arrangements. Windows were often opened or using ceiling fans to regulate the indoor environment. Students mostly wore short sleeves shirts made of cotton as a means of maintaining thermal comfort. Lack of concentration of the students on their lessons, distraction of students’ attention from their lecturers were attributed to poor quality of condition of classroom environment. Appropriate measures should be put in place by the Development Officer of CCTU to improve on classrooms/lecture halls environmental quality.