Are They Really that Warm: A Thermal Assessment of Kiosks and Metal Containers in a Tropical Climate?

Purpose: In Ghana, makeshift structures such as kiosk and metal containers have been increasing in their share of use as dwellings and currently makes up to 20% of dwellings. The growing urbanization in Ghana points to a further increase in these structures. It is generally known that such structures are of poor quality however, little is known about their thermal comfort conditions neither is there any data on them. To this end, this study sought to determine the thermal comfort of residents of makeshift structures. Design/Methodology/Approach: Field measurement and questionnaire survey were adopted for the study. Field measurements of the study included indoor and outdoor thermal parameters across six selected makeshift structures in Kumasi. A humidity/temperature datalogger was mounted in the various structures to collect data regarding the environmental factors of thermal comfort. A handheld anemometer was also used to record one of the variables. Another set of data was collected using a questionnaire. Findings: The results from the field measurements show an average temperature of 29.73 ℃ and an average relative humidity of 66.7% indoors in the selected study structures. Also, survey participants indicated a general dissatisfaction of the conditions and expressed preference for cooler conditions. The high dissatisfaction expressed towards thermal conditions in this study demonstrates that occupying makeshift structures may be thermally unhealthy as temperatures are almost 2 degrees higher than recommended. Implications/Research Limitations: This data collection period for this study was for a relatively short period. Further data can be collected for longer periods for assessment. Also, subsequent studies can explore thermal comfort using adaptive models and their health implications on the occupants. Originality/Value: The findings of this study have brought to light statistics surrounding thermal comfort in the makeshift structures. With this information, alternative forms of affordable and more comfortable infrastructure can be explored. This paper provides empirical evidence on thermal conditions in makeshift structures in a tropical warm-humid climate.