A Technical Assessment of Comfort Performance of <i>Hanok</i> Using Comparative Field Surveys between Experts and Users

• Main Authors: Mi-Hyang Lee, Deuk-Youm Cheon, Seung-Hoon Han
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-12-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: Korean traditional architecture; <i>hanok</i>; architectural locality; Korean rural house; architectural evaluation; comfort performance
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/24/10315

The paper aims to evaluate the psychological factors of the comfort performance of the <i>hanok</i>. This is to guide restoration and improvement in consideration of the intangible variables that provide the quality of the <i>hanok</i>. Through this process, we ultimately intend to build an integrated residential performance evaluation system that includes factors related to the quality of residents’ lives, such as the comfort of their surrounding and indoor environment, as well as the functionality and convenience of the <i>hanok</i>, a representative type of Korean traditional architecture. The test method to evaluate the comfort performance of <i>hanok</i> is largely divided into the physical perception element, which is a quantitative indicator, and the psychological cognitive element, which is a qualitative indicator. Physical perceptive factors are composed of nine quantifiable factors that can be measured by numerical values, namely humidity control, condensation, insulation, thermal comfort, air permeability, solar radiation, solar lighting, sound insulation, and air cleanness. This is a perceptual concept of viewing a building as it is, and a quantitative evaluation method of measuring data in the field using environmental sensors and equipment. Psychological cognitive factors that are evaluated based on the experiences of users (residents) living in <i>hanok</i>, are classified into five categories, of scenery, beauty, deodorization, usability, and health. This study was conducted through a questionnaire between experts and users (residents), limited to the psychological factors among methods of evaluating the comfort performance of <i>hanok</i>. As a result, it can be seen that environmental factors are the main variables that influence the degree of satisfaction with the psychological perception factor. This might be a merit factor of general <i>hanok</i>, and weight could be given when creating an integrated standard in the future.