Investigation of thermal comfort and environmental design in historic buildings: A case study of Shubra palace

Abstract This study investigated the comfort levels of historically significant structures at high altitudes in Saudi Arabia's Arabian Peninsula. The study primarily focused on the influence of thermal mass and direction on thermal performance at Shubra. This research encompassed both qualitative and quantitative assessments. Data and information were collected from local experts via a questionnaire interview with architecture professionals residing in Taif City, situated at a considerable elevation. The building's thermal performance was assessed using on‐site data loggers, thermal imaging cameras, and the TAS EDSL program. The study revealed that the experts' years of experience and age were major determinants in collecting information for the survey. The implementation of thermal mass, while enhancing thermal comfort, had a negligible impact on energy consumption and indoor air temperature. Ventilation can enhance the level of thermal comfort. The application of evaporative cooling technology markedly enhances thermal comfort perception by reducing indoor air temperature by 4°C. This method is novel as it integrates computer modeling and field monitoring data with the qualitative insights of specialists. This might facilitate the accurate collection of data for adequate comparable case studies.