A field study of thermal comfort with underfloor air distribution

•Thermal comfort survey of office workstations with underfloor air distribution.•Predicted and actual thermal sensation matched closely.•Actual thermal sensation slightly cooler than neutral.•Preference for more air movement.

Field measurements and questionnaires based on the ASHRAE RP-921 project protocol were used to assess thermal comfort in a cold climate office environment with underfloor air distribution. All male and 90% of female participants ranked the thermal environment at their desk areas acceptable at the time of the survey. The median operative temperature was about 23 °C and ranged from 22 °C to 24 °C. The median average mean vote was −0.5, slightly cooler than neutral. Despite only 21% of participants voting warmer than neutral and only 15% expressing a preference for cooler conditions, 32% indicated that they would prefer more air movement. About 18% responded that they experienced some discomfort in body regions.