Thermal perception reported by university students in spaces with and without the presence of natural elements in the landscape

Authors

  • Ivan Julio Apolonio Callejas Doutor, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Brasil.
  • Luciane Cleonice Durante Doutora, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Brasil.
  • Eduardo L. Kruger Doutor, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brasil
  • Julia Trevisan de Campos Discente do Curso de Arquitetura e Urbanismo da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Brasil.
  • Isabela Amorim Callejas Discente do Curso de Psicologia da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Brasil.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18312/verncula.v3i9.3090

Keywords:

Thermal Comfort, Natural Landscape, Thermal Recovery, University Environment

Abstract

Gardens are open-air spaces that serve an aesthetic function by creating a pleasant and welcoming environment for users. This study aims to assess whether the passive observation of a garden within a university campus can influence the thermal recovery reported by university students. To investigate this, groups of volunteers were exposed to two adjacent outdoor spaces with contrasting visual conditions: one group observed the wall of a building, while the other viewed a garden. Simultaneously, microclimatic measurements were conducted, and thermal comfort questionnaires were applied to gather information about the environment and participants' thermal perception. The results indicated that students in the garden space reported a lower thermal sensation compared to those in the wall space. The visual stimulus provided by the natural landscape elements had a positive effect on the participants' thermal recovery, suggesting that gardens have the potential to function as restorative spaces. The findings are still preliminary and need to be further explored through a larger number of interviews.

Published

2025-08-09 — Updated on 2025-08-14

Versions

How to Cite

Callejas , I. J. A., Durante , L. C., Kruger, E. L., Campos, J. T. de, & Callejas, I. A. (2025). Thermal perception reported by university students in spaces with and without the presence of natural elements in the landscape. VERNÁCULA - Territórios Contemporâneos, 3(9). https://doi.org/10.18312/verncula.v3i9.3090 (Original work published August 9, 2025)

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