Building Comfort
Understand how comfortable occupied spaces are likely to feel before a building is delivered. Thermal Comfort Modelling predicts occupant comfort, overheating risk and indoor environmental conditions under realistic operating scenarios.
For architects, engineers, developers and sustainability consultants evaluating façade performance, glazing strategies, solar gains, shading design and indoor environmental quality across commercial, mixed use and multi residential developments.
Discuss Your Thermal Comfort AssessmentIn Brief
Thermal Comfort Modelling is a building performance analysis used to predict how comfortable occupied spaces are likely to feel under expected climate, design and operating conditions. It examines the combined effect of air temperature, radiant temperature, solar gain, humidity, air movement, clothing and occupant activity rather than assessing temperature as an isolated value.
For commercial, mixed use and multi residential developments, thermal comfort analysis can identify areas that may experience overheating, excessive radiant heat, seasonal discomfort or uneven internal conditions. It helps project teams understand how façade design, glazing, shading, internal heat loads, ventilation and mechanical systems may affect occupant comfort during real building use.
Thermal comfort modelling is different from regulatory energy compliance modelling. Section J, JV3, BASIX and NatHERS assessments demonstrate whether a prescribed performance pathway has been satisfied, while thermal comfort analysis considers the conditions people may experience within individual rooms, zones and occupied areas.
The findings can inform façade development, glazing selection, shading design, HVAC coordination, passive design decisions and overheating mitigation before key project elements become fixed. Where a project requires detailed investigation of local air velocities or complex airflow pathways, a separate Computational Fluid Dynamics assessment may also be appropriate.
When a project needs to investigate occupant comfort, overheating risk or internal conditions beyond the assumptions used for standard energy compliance.
Air and radiant temperature, solar gain, humidity, air movement, occupant activity, clothing levels and seasonal comfort conditions.
Compliance modelling assesses whether a required pathway has been met. Thermal comfort modelling predicts how indoor conditions may be experienced by the people using the space.
Explore This Knowledge Hub
Explore how Thermal Comfort Modelling predicts occupant comfort, overheating risk, indoor environmental conditions and building performance. This Knowledge Hub explains the principles, applications and design decisions that influence how commercial, mixed use and multi residential buildings may feel in everyday use.
Understand how air temperature, radiant heat, humidity, air movement, solar exposure and internal loads influence the way occupied spaces feel in use.
Explore how modelling can predict operative temperatures, seasonal comfort conditions and overheating risk before a building is complete or occupied.
See how Thermal Comfort Modelling differs from Section J, JV3, BASIX and NatHERS assessments that focus primarily on regulatory compliance.
Review how glazing, shading, orientation, solar gain and internal surface temperatures can influence radiant comfort and overheating.
Learn when a separate Computational Fluid Dynamics assessment may be needed to investigate detailed airflow, local air velocity or complex ventilation behaviour.
Consider how thermal comfort assessment can inform overheating mitigation, HVAC strategy, passive design decisions and expected operational performance.
Thermal Comfort Analysis
Thermal Comfort Modelling analyses how indoor conditions are likely to be experienced by the people using a building. Rather than considering air temperature alone, the assessment reviews the combined influence of air temperature, radiant temperature, humidity, air movement, clothing levels and occupant activity across different seasons, times of day and operating scenarios.
The analysis may use climate data, building orientation, glazing properties, façade construction, shading, solar gains, internal heat loads, ventilation rates, occupancy schedules and mechanical system assumptions. Together, these inputs help predict operative temperatures, overheating risk and variations in comfort between rooms, perimeter zones and deeper internal areas.
For commercial, mixed use and multi residential projects, thermal comfort analysis can be undertaken during design, refurbishment or adaptive reuse. It can identify spaces that may experience excessive solar exposure, high radiant temperatures, insufficient conditioning or uneven comfort before these conditions lead to design changes, operational pressures or occupant complaints.
The assessment considers how temperature, radiant heat, humidity, air movement and activity levels may combine to influence thermal sensation within occupied spaces.
Modelling shows how the building envelope, glazing, shading, internal loads and mechanical systems may respond to climate and changing patterns of occupancy.
Early analysis allows project teams to refine glazing, shading, façade performance, internal planning and HVAC strategy before key decisions become difficult or costly to change.
Occupant Comfort
Occupant comfort describes how people experience the indoor environment of a building. In commercial, mixed use and multi residential developments, thermal comfort is influenced by air temperature, radiant temperature, humidity, air movement, clothing levels, occupant activity and the way internal conditions change throughout the day and across different seasons.
Comfort is determined by more than a thermostat setting. A space may satisfy a temperature target while still feeling uncomfortable because of high radiant heat from glazing, excessive solar gains, uneven operative temperatures, poor humidity control or local variations between occupied zones.
Thermal Comfort Modelling brings these factors together to predict how occupied spaces are likely to perform before construction is complete. The analysis helps architects, engineers and project teams refine façade performance, glazing, shading, passive design and building services to create more comfortable, resilient and energy efficient buildings.
Air temperature provides the starting point for comfort, but consistent indoor conditions across occupied spaces are equally important.
Warm or cool surrounding surfaces, glazing and façade materials influence how occupants experience comfort, regardless of the measured air temperature.
Orientation, glazing and external shading influence how much solar energy enters a building and whether occupied areas remain comfortable throughout the year.
Humidity and gentle air movement contribute to thermal sensation and can influence whether occupants perceive a space as comfortable during different operating conditions.
Buildings that consistently maintain thermal comfort can support occupant wellbeing, productivity and satisfaction while reducing unnecessary demand on mechanical systems. Reviewing comfort during design allows project teams to address potential issues before they become embedded in the completed building.
Thermal comfort is influenced by a combination of environmental and human factors, including:
Comfort vs Compliance
Energy compliance and thermal comfort answer different questions. Compliance pathways demonstrate whether a building satisfies regulatory performance requirements, while Thermal Comfort Modelling evaluates how indoor conditions are likely to be experienced by the people occupying the building throughout the year.
A building can comply with energy regulations and still experience overheating, excessive radiant temperatures, uneven comfort between occupied areas or seasonal discomfort. Factors such as glazing design, façade performance, solar gains, internal heat loads and building operation all influence how comfortable a space ultimately feels.
Thermal Comfort Modelling complements energy compliance by providing a deeper understanding of occupant comfort before construction begins. The assessment helps project teams evaluate thermal conditions, identify potential comfort risks and refine design decisions while changes remain practical and cost effective.
Demonstrates that a project satisfies the relevant regulatory pathway for energy efficiency or building performance documentation.
Predicts how comfortable indoor spaces are likely to feel by assessing air temperature, radiant temperature, solar gains, humidity, internal loads and occupant conditions.
Provides evidence that supports façade optimisation, glazing selection, shading design, passive strategies and HVAC coordination before detailed design decisions become fixed.
Thermal Comfort Modelling is not an alternative to energy compliance. It provides an additional layer of design intelligence that helps project teams understand how a building may actually perform for the people who occupy it.
Façade Performance
The building envelope plays a central role in thermal comfort. In commercial, mixed use and multi residential buildings, the façade controls much of the relationship between external climate and internal conditions. Glazing, shading, insulation, thermal mass, orientation, air leakage and façade geometry influence how heat enters, leaves or is retained within occupied spaces.
Thermal Comfort Modelling helps project teams understand how façade decisions may affect occupant experience before construction begins. A highly glazed façade may support daylight and views, but without appropriate solar control it may also increase solar gains, radiant temperatures and overheating risk. This relationship can be reviewed alongside Daylight Modelling to balance visual comfort with thermal performance.
The comfort outcome depends on how the envelope performs as a complete system. Glass selection, frame systems, shading design, façade orientation, internal planning and HVAC strategy interact to influence indoor conditions. Early modelling allows teams to refine these decisions before they become difficult or expensive to change, while supporting broader passive design strategies and building performance goals.
Glazing, orientation and shading influence how much solar energy enters occupied spaces and whether that heat contributes to overheating or discomfort.
Warm glazing, exposed surfaces and sun affected zones can influence thermal sensation even when air temperature remains within an acceptable range.
Comfort depends on the interaction between glazing, insulation, shading, thermal mass, façade geometry and building services.
Modelling can identify where façade, glazing or shading decisions may need adjustment before they influence long term comfort outcomes.
This approach is particularly valuable for buildings with large glazed areas, exposed façades, mixed orientations, atriums, commercial lobbies, education spaces, healthcare environments and multi residential common areas. For projects requiring detailed energy pathway assessment, Thermal Comfort Modelling can complement Section J and JV3 analysis by focusing on occupant experience rather than compliance alone.
Glazing Performance
Glazing has a direct influence on thermal comfort because it controls how solar energy, radiant temperatures and external climate conditions affect occupied spaces. In highly glazed commercial, mixed use and multi residential buildings, comfort depends not only on air temperature but also on radiant heat from glass surfaces, solar exposure and the way occupants experience spaces near windows and exposed façade areas.
Solar gain can provide useful passive heating when carefully considered, but uncontrolled solar exposure may contribute to overheating, increased cooling demand and uneven comfort between different zones. Thermal Comfort Modelling helps project teams understand how glazing decisions may influence workspaces, apartments, classrooms, shared areas and other occupied environments before design decisions become fixed.
Glazing performance is determined by the complete façade system rather than the glass specification alone. Orientation, external shading, frame systems, façade depth, surrounding context, internal planning, ventilation strategy and HVAC design all interact to influence comfort outcomes. For projects balancing natural light with thermal performance, this assessment can complement Daylight Modelling by focusing specifically on heat transfer, solar gains and occupant comfort.
Modelling identifies where solar exposure may contribute to overheating risk, radiant discomfort or increased cooling demand during occupied periods.
Large glazed surfaces can influence thermal sensation through radiant heat exchange, even when measured air temperatures appear acceptable.
External shading, façade geometry and orientation can reduce unwanted solar gains while maintaining architectural intent and useful daylight access.
Comfort analysis can reveal where glazing and solar loads may increase demand on mechanical systems or create inconsistent conditions between zones.
Where the primary question relates to daylight availability, daylight distribution or glare, a separate Daylight Modelling assessment may be more appropriate. Thermal Comfort Modelling focuses on how glazing affects heat transfer, radiant conditions, overheating risk and the comfort experienced by occupants.
HVAC and Comfort Response
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems play an important role in maintaining thermal comfort, but their performance depends on how well they respond to the building around them. Façade exposure, glazing, shading, orientation, occupancy patterns, internal heat loads, zoning and control strategies all influence how effectively HVAC systems can maintain comfortable indoor conditions.
Thermal Comfort Modelling helps project teams understand where mechanical systems may need to respond to challenging conditions. Excessive solar gains, high internal loads, uneven zoning or poorly coordinated façade decisions can create spaces that are difficult to keep comfortable, even where HVAC capacity is available.
The strongest comfort outcomes occur when architecture, building envelope design and mechanical systems are considered together. Thermal comfort analysis can support early design coordination by identifying where passive measures, façade improvements or system adjustments may improve comfort before operational challenges emerge.
Solar exposure, glazing, façade performance and internal heat gains can increase cooling demand and influence how consistently comfort conditions are maintained.
Different areas of a building may experience different comfort conditions depending on orientation, occupancy, glazing, air distribution and patterns of use.
Modelling can highlight where HVAC systems may need to respond to changing thermal conditions, local heat gains or unstable comfort outcomes.
Comfort analysis can reveal opportunities to coordinate glazing, shading, façade design, passive strategies and HVAC systems before final decisions are made.
This may include reviewing:
Comfort Led Design
Thermal comfort is a critical part of sustainable building performance because it connects design decisions with the experience of people inside the building. A well performing building should not only reduce energy demand, but also maintain comfortable internal conditions through considered façade design, glazing performance, shading, passive strategies and appropriately coordinated building services.
Thermal Comfort Modelling helps project teams understand how design choices influence indoor conditions before construction begins. It examines the relationship between solar gains, radiant temperatures, air movement, internal loads, occupancy patterns and mechanical response to identify where comfort risks may occur and where improvements can be made.
By considering comfort early, projects can create buildings that are more resilient, efficient and responsive in operation. This approach complements broader sustainability pathways such as Passive House design principles and operational performance strategies by focusing on the conditions experienced by occupants.
Comfort modelling can identify how orientation, shading, glazing and envelope design influence internal conditions before active systems are relied upon.
Sustainable buildings should support the people who use them by maintaining comfortable, healthy and adaptable indoor environments.
Understanding comfort conditions can help reduce unnecessary system demand and support more predictable building performance over time.
Thermal Comfort Modelling provides a bridge between sustainable design intent and the lived experience of a building, helping teams understand whether performance goals translate into comfortable occupied spaces.
Read more about thermal comfort modelling in sustainable building design
Compliance and Comfort
Thermal Comfort Modelling and compliance modelling are related, but they answer different questions. Compliance assessments determine whether a project satisfies a required regulatory or performance pathway, while thermal comfort analysis investigates how occupied spaces are likely to feel, respond and perform for the people using them.
A commercial, mixed use or multi residential building may demonstrate compliance through Section J, JV3 or another relevant pathway, while still benefiting from a deeper review of occupant comfort, overheating risk, solar exposure, radiant temperatures and indoor environmental quality.
Does the proposed building satisfy the required energy efficiency, regulatory or rating pathway for approval, certification or documentation?
Are occupied spaces likely to maintain comfortable, stable and appropriate indoor conditions under expected climate, design and operating scenarios?
The difference matters because regulatory compliance does not always describe the lived experience of a building. A project may satisfy energy requirements while still experiencing localised discomfort near glazing, uneven temperature distribution, excessive solar exposure, poor air movement or spaces that depend heavily on mechanical correction.
Thermal Comfort Modelling provides an additional layer of design intelligence by helping teams understand how façade design, glazing selection, shading, passive strategies and HVAC systems work together. For buildings being assessed after occupation, these comfort outcomes can also support broader operational performance reviews by connecting design decisions with real building experience.
Project Applications
Thermal Comfort Modelling is valuable when project teams need to understand whether occupied spaces are likely to remain comfortable under expected climate, design and operating conditions. It is particularly useful where comfort depends on the interaction between façade design, glazing, shading, ventilation, HVAC systems and the way people use the building.
The assessment is most effective when undertaken before major design decisions are fixed. Reviewing comfort early allows teams to refine façade performance, glazing selection, passive design approaches and building services strategies while changes can still be made efficiently.
Useful when teams need evidence before finalising glazing, façade systems, shading strategies, internal planning or HVAC approaches.
Relevant where glazing, solar exposure, radiant temperatures, overheating or uneven conditions may affect occupant comfort.
Important where projects target improved occupant wellbeing, indoor environmental quality or performance beyond minimum compliance requirements.
It may be considered where:
Thermal Comfort Modelling can support both problem solving and proactive design. It helps project teams understand whether envelope performance, passive strategies and building services are likely to work together to create comfortable occupied environments.
Project Scope and Timing
The cost and timing of Thermal Comfort Modelling depend on the complexity of the building, the purpose of the assessment and the level of analysis required. A targeted comfort review of selected occupied areas will generally involve a different scope from a detailed assessment involving complex façades, multiple orientations, natural ventilation strategies or advanced airflow investigation.
The stage of design also influences the efficiency of the process. Thermal comfort analysis is most effective when architectural plans, elevations, glazing information, façade details, occupancy assumptions, shading strategies and services information are available while design decisions are still flexible.
Early engagement allows project teams to identify comfort risks before they become embedded in the design. Where required, thermal comfort modelling can support broader performance pathways including Section J, JV3 and operational building performance reviews.
Building size, number of occupied zones, levels, space types and the extent of the assessment influence the required modelling scope.
Large glazing areas, exposed façades, mixed orientations, atriums and complex shading conditions may require deeper comfort analysis.
The scope may range from early design review through detailed scenario testing, natural ventilation assessment or supporting CFD analysis where airflow behaviour requires further investigation.
Clear drawings, glazing data, façade information, occupancy assumptions and services documentation help define the modelling approach efficiently.
Scope may be influenced by:
The most effective starting point is to define the comfort question first. Once the project objective is clear, the appropriate modelling scope, information requirements and likely programme can be established with greater certainty.
Assessment Outcomes
A Thermal Comfort Modelling assessment provides project teams with a clearer understanding of how design decisions may influence occupant experience. The outcome is not only a set of modelling results, but a practical understanding of comfort risks, contributing factors and opportunities for improvement.
The content of an assessment depends on the project objectives, building type, design stage and level of analysis required. A review for early design refinement may focus on key comfort risks, while a detailed assessment may examine multiple scenarios, façade options, ventilation strategies or operational conditions.
The purpose is to help architects, engineers, developers and project teams make informed decisions before construction, refurbishment or major design coordination is complete.
Identify potential comfort challenges including overheating risk, excessive solar exposure, radiant heat, uneven conditions or areas requiring further investigation.
Compare design approaches such as glazing options, shading strategies, façade responses, ventilation approaches or HVAC coordination.
Understand how building envelope decisions, environmental conditions and services strategies influence comfort outcomes.
Provide practical recommendations to support improvements before design decisions become fixed or difficult to change.
A Thermal Comfort Modelling assessment may include:
The most valuable outcome of thermal comfort modelling is not simply understanding whether a space performs well, but understanding what design decisions can improve the experience of the people who use it.
CFD and Air Movement
Thermal Comfort Modelling evaluates whether occupied spaces are likely to provide comfortable indoor conditions. Where the comfort question depends on detailed airflow behaviour, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) can provide a more specialised analysis of air movement, velocity, pressure relationships and ventilation patterns.
CFD may be valuable in commercial, mixed use and multi residential projects with complex internal spaces, large atriums, natural ventilation strategies, mixed mode systems, exposed entrances, high ceilings or unusual building geometries. These conditions can create local airflow effects that may not be fully understood through broader thermal comfort analysis alone.
CFD does not replace thermal comfort assessment. Instead, it provides an additional layer of environmental analysis where airflow behaviour is central to the design question. For projects requiring dedicated investigation of airflow, pressure or ventilation performance, a separate CFD modelling assessment may be appropriate.
CFD can visualise how air moves through complex spaces where velocity, circulation patterns or local airflow behaviour influence the environment.
Detailed airflow analysis can identify areas of stagnant air, excessive movement, drafts or uneven distribution within occupied spaces.
CFD can support the review of natural ventilation and mixed mode strategies by showing how air enters, moves through and exits a space.
Entries, lobbies, semi enclosed spaces and external interfaces may require closer airflow investigation where comfort depends on transition conditions.
CFD may support comfort review where a project needs to understand:
Where the primary question relates to detailed airflow, pressure, ventilation effectiveness or fluid behaviour, a dedicated CFD assessment may provide a more appropriate level of analysis.
Building Applications
Thermal comfort is experienced differently across commercial, mixed use and shared building types. An office floor, apartment building, education facility, healthcare environment, retail tenancy or public space may all have different occupancy patterns, internal loads, operating conditions and expectations for comfort.
Thermal Comfort Modelling helps project teams understand these differences before they become operational challenges. The assessment considers not only whether a space can be conditioned, but whether the building envelope, glazing, shading, ventilation and services strategy support the way people are expected to use the space.
This approach is particularly valuable where projects include varied occupancy patterns, exposed façades, shared amenities or spaces with different comfort expectations throughout the day.
Office comfort may be influenced by workstation locations, façade exposure, glazing, shading, internal equipment loads, occupancy patterns and air distribution strategies.
Residential and mixed use projects may require review of apartments, common areas, lobbies, shared amenities and semi conditioned spaces with different comfort expectations.
Learning and care environments often require stable internal conditions because occupants may remain in spaces for extended periods.
Retail entries, galleries, libraries and civic spaces may experience changing comfort conditions because of openings, movement, exposure and variable occupancy.
Buildings with consistent daily occupancy may require careful review of comfort stability, solar exposure, internal loads and operational conditions.
Atriums, entrances, shared amenities and transition spaces may require closer review where airflow, exposure and movement influence comfort conditions.
Commercial thermal comfort analysis is most valuable when it reflects the actual use of the building. For projects where operational performance is a key consideration, comfort outcomes can also support broader NABERS performance discussions.
Post Occupancy Comfort
Thermal comfort does not end when a building is completed. Once occupied, internal conditions are influenced by real people, daily schedules, equipment loads, weather patterns, control settings and the way spaces are actually used.
Thermal Comfort Modelling helps project teams understand how design assumptions may translate into real occupied conditions. This is particularly valuable where buildings experience overheating, cold zones, radiant heat, uneven comfort conditions or spaces that depend heavily on mechanical adjustment.
Understanding comfort after occupation also provides insight into how façade design, glazing, shading, HVAC strategy and building use interact over time. Where operational energy performance is being assessed, comfort outcomes can complement broader NABERS performance reviews by connecting measured building behaviour with occupant experience.
Real occupancy levels, user behaviour and daily schedules can influence comfort differently from original design assumptions.
HVAC controls, system settings, commissioning and maintenance practices can influence how comfort conditions are experienced.
Heatwaves, seasonal changes and extreme weather conditions can reveal comfort challenges that are not visible under average conditions.
Fitouts, partitions, furniture layouts and changes in use can affect heat distribution, airflow and occupant comfort.
After occupation, comfort may be influenced by:
A high performing building is not only defined by design intent. It is also defined by whether people can comfortably use the spaces throughout the building’s operational life.
Future Comfort Strategy
The future of commercial building design will place increasing attention on how buildings perform for the people who use them. Compliance requirements remain important, but project teams are increasingly looking beyond minimum performance outcomes to understand comfort, resilience, adaptability and indoor environmental quality.
Thermal Comfort Modelling supports this shift by allowing comfort conditions to be considered alongside façade design, glazing performance, shading, passive strategies and building services. Rather than treating comfort as a problem addressed after design decisions are complete, modelling helps teams understand how architectural choices influence the occupied environment.
Future ready comfort design is not simply about adding technology. It is about better coordination between the building envelope, environmental conditions, occupant needs and operational strategies. Thermal comfort analysis helps make these relationships visible before construction, refurbishment or major design decisions are finalised.
Future projects need to demonstrate required compliance while also understanding whether occupied spaces are likely to perform comfortably in practice.
Glazing, shading, orientation and façade design will remain central to managing solar exposure, radiant effects and comfort outcomes.
Comfort outcomes depend on how buildings are occupied, controlled and operated after completion.
The value of modelling is helping teams make informed decisions while design options remain flexible.
Future comfort strategies may consider:
Thermal Comfort Modelling represents a move toward more occupant focused building design, helping project teams understand buildings not only as compliant structures, but as environments that need to remain comfortable, usable and responsive over time.
Assessment Process
Thermal Comfort Modelling begins by defining the comfort question the project needs to answer. The assessment process is shaped by the building type, intended use, design stage, climate conditions, façade strategy, occupancy patterns and the level of detail required to understand potential comfort outcomes.
Rather than simply testing whether a building can be conditioned, the process examines how architectural decisions, building envelope performance and environmental systems may influence the experience of occupants. This allows project teams to identify comfort risks and design opportunities before key decisions become difficult to change.
The level of analysis can range from early design reviews through to detailed assessments of complex commercial, mixed use and multi residential buildings where overheating risk, façade response, glazing performance, ventilation or HVAC coordination require closer investigation.
The assessment starts by understanding what needs to be reviewed, such as overheating risk, glazing performance, façade response, occupant comfort or HVAC interaction.
Available information may include architectural drawings, façade details, glazing specifications, shading strategies, occupancy assumptions, internal loads and building services information.
The building geometry, materials, environmental conditions and operational assumptions are represented to understand how spaces may respond under expected scenarios.
Results are reviewed to understand temperature behaviour, solar exposure, radiant effects, comfort risks and how different areas of the building may perform.
The assessment may consider:
The value of Thermal Comfort Modelling is not only identifying potential comfort issues, but helping project teams understand why they occur and which design decisions can improve the outcome.
Comfort Assessment
Thermal comfort is not determined by air temperature alone. The way people experience a space depends on the combined effect of environmental conditions, building design, occupant characteristics and how the space is used. Thermal Comfort Modelling considers these relationships to understand whether occupied areas are likely to support comfortable conditions.
Different assessment approaches may consider factors such as air temperature, radiant temperature, air movement, humidity, occupancy patterns and expected activity levels. These inputs help create a more complete understanding of comfort than a single temperature value can provide.
The appropriate comfort assessment method depends on the building type, ventilation strategy, climate, occupancy expectations and the purpose of the review. Commercial buildings, naturally ventilated spaces and highly conditioned environments may each require different considerations.
Operative temperature combines the influence of air temperature and surrounding surface temperatures to better represent how occupants experience their environment.
Radiant temperature considers heat exchange between occupants and surrounding surfaces such as glazing, walls, floors and ceilings.
Thermal comfort models such as PMV and PPD estimate how occupants may perceive conditions based on environmental and personal factors.
Adaptive comfort approaches recognise that occupant expectations may change depending on climate, building operation and opportunities for adaptation.
Thermal comfort assessment may consider:
Thermal comfort metrics provide a way to translate complex building behaviour into information that helps design teams make better decisions about façades, ventilation, glazing, shading and internal environments.
Passive Design and Comfort
Passive design strategies play an important role in thermal comfort because they influence how a building responds to climate before mechanical systems are required. Orientation, shading, insulation, thermal mass, glazing selection and natural ventilation can all affect how internal spaces gain, lose and retain heat.
Thermal Comfort Modelling helps project teams understand whether these passive strategies are likely to support comfortable indoor conditions under expected climate and occupancy scenarios. Rather than assessing individual design elements in isolation, modelling considers how the building envelope, environmental conditions and occupant experience interact.
This approach is particularly valuable during early design stages, when passive measures can still be refined. By identifying potential comfort risks before construction, teams can improve the relationship between architectural intent, building physics and occupant experience.
Building orientation influences solar exposure, seasonal heat gain and the ability to create comfortable internal conditions throughout the year.
External shading can reduce unwanted solar gain while supporting daylight access and maintaining architectural intent.
Thermal mass can influence temperature stability by absorbing, storing and releasing heat over time.
Natural ventilation strategies can support comfort by influencing air movement, heat removal and occupant adaptation where conditions allow.
Passive design strategies may include:
Thermal Comfort Modelling helps transform passive design principles into measurable design decisions by showing how buildings may respond under realistic environmental conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Thermal Comfort Modelling is a building physics analysis method used to understand whether occupied spaces are likely to remain comfortable under expected climate, design and operating conditions. It may consider air temperature, radiant heat, solar gain, glazing, façade response, shading, internal heat loads, air movement and HVAC system response.
Thermal Comfort Modelling is used when project teams need deeper insight into occupant comfort, overheating risk, façade response, glazing performance, solar exposure, air movement or internal environmental conditions. It can support offices, apartments, education spaces, healthcare environments, retail areas, public buildings and mixed use developments.
No. Section J and JV3 are compliance pathways used to demonstrate energy performance requirements under the National Construction Code. Thermal Comfort Modelling focuses on how occupied spaces may feel and perform for the people using them.
No. BASIX and NatHERS are residential compliance and rating pathways. Thermal Comfort Modelling focuses on commercial, mixed use and multi residential projects where occupant comfort, façade behaviour, overheating risk and internal environmental conditions require closer review.
Thermal comfort can be influenced by air temperature, radiant heat, solar gain, glazing, shading, façade design, air movement, humidity, internal heat loads, occupancy patterns, clothing expectations and HVAC system response.
Glazing influences solar heat gain, radiant temperatures, heat transfer and local comfort near façades. In highly glazed buildings, occupants may experience discomfort near windows even when average air temperature appears acceptable. Where the primary question relates to daylight access or glare, a separate Daylight Modelling assessment may be more appropriate.
Thermal Comfort Modelling can help identify design conditions that may increase heating or cooling demand. Reviewing façade design, glazing, shading, zoning and HVAC response early can help reduce unnecessary mechanical loads while supporting comfortable indoor environments. For measured operational performance after occupation, comfort outcomes can complement NABERS performance reviews.
CFD can support Thermal Comfort Modelling where detailed airflow, velocity, pressure relationships or ventilation pathways require further investigation. It is a separate analysis method used when airflow behaviour is central to the comfort question. Learn more about CFD Modelling.
Thermal comfort matters because buildings are experienced by people, not only measured through compliance outcomes. A space that is difficult to keep comfortable may affect usability, occupant satisfaction, HVAC demand and long term building performance.
Typical inputs include architectural plans, elevations, sections, façade details, glazing information, shading strategy, occupancy assumptions, internal heat loads and HVAC or ventilation strategy information.
Yes. Certified Energy supports architects, engineers and developers by reviewing thermal comfort risks related to façade design, glazing, shading, overheating, internal loads, HVAC response and occupant experience before important design decisions are finalised.
Cost depends on building size, number of zones, façade complexity, available documentation, assessment objectives, number of scenarios tested and whether additional analysis such as CFD is required.
Timing depends on the complexity of the assessment, available documentation and level of analysis required. A focused review can usually be scoped faster than a detailed assessment involving multiple design options, complex façades, natural ventilation or CFD support.
Related Knowledge References
Thermal comfort sits within a wider building performance ecosystem. These related knowledge areas explain how daylight, airflow, façade response, compliance pathways, occupant wellbeing and measured operational performance interact with internal comfort conditions.
Natural Light
Explore how daylight availability, glare, visual comfort and façade design influence occupied spaces.
Explore Daylight Modelling →
Air Movement
Understand how detailed airflow analysis can investigate ventilation pathways, drafts, still zones and local air movement behaviour.
Explore CFD Modelling →
Occupant Wellbeing
Understand how thermal comfort contributes to wider indoor environmental quality and occupant wellbeing outcomes.
Explore WELL Rating →
Commercial Compliance
Understand the NCC energy efficiency pathway for commercial building fabric, glazing, sealing, HVAC and services compliance.
Explore Section J →
Performance Solution
Explore comparative energy modelling approaches while understanding how compliance differs from occupant comfort analysis.
Explore JV3 Assessment →
Operational Performance
Connect design stage comfort thinking with measured energy use, HVAC operation and building performance after occupation.
Explore NABERS Strategic →
Project Review
Share your available plans, elevations, sections, façade details, glazing information, shading strategy, occupancy assumptions and building services inputs for an initial review. Certified Energy can help determine whether Thermal Comfort Modelling is appropriate and identify the comfort questions that should guide the assessment.
Early thermal comfort analysis can help coordinate façade design, glazing, shading, ventilation and HVAC strategy with occupant experience, overheating risk and broader building performance objectives.
Last reviewed: July 2026. This page is maintained by Certified Energy as part of its Commercial Performance Knowledge Hub.
