Abstracts Category : Other

Sustainable Climate Response Connectors at The University of Arizona to Improve User Performance and Reduce Carbon Footprint

by Cesar Alberto Rojas

The University of Arizona Main Campus is located in the city of Tucson, Arizona. A place that confronts high air temperatures and extreme solar radiation almost all year around. Currently, more than 38,000 students are enrolled as full-time facing the extreme climate conditions of heat. Thousands of students walk from one place to another experiencing uncomfortable walks causing them heat stress.Campus infrastructure is not capable to interact with the weather conditions of Tucson. The lack of shaded paths, materials with high emissivity of heat, nonnative vegetation, among other factors, make the walks unpleasant. This challenge affects people's health and consecutively the performance of cooling systems once the people enter to buildings overheated.Outdoor human thermal comfort in arid and desert areas is a relevant topic that carries implications and benefits on people and buildings performance. The amount and intensity of activities within individuals affects the level of comfort.Advisors/Committee Members: Chalfoun, Nader V (advisor), Chalfoun, Nader V. (committeemember).