In the week of 28th November to 2nd December, Fraunhofer and the School of Public Policy (SPP) at Chiang Mai University joined forces to conduct some fieldwork in CHARMS on how to improve indoor comfort in vernacular wooden houses in Thailand. Among other activities, we conducted a focus group with a diverse group of 17 citizens of Wat Lam Chang, one of our pilot districts in Chiang Mai. First, the participants could locate their own house on a map, which also showed the location of the traditional wooden houses in the district. After that, the citizen discussed lively about their perception of living in the wooden houses, in particular with regard to their perception of indoor comfort during the year with or without AC. One of the challenges mentioned is that the traditional natural ventilation system is reaching its limits due to rising temperatures and high levels of air pollution, especially in the hot season between February and April.
We also visited the owners of our pilot buildings in Wat Lam Chang and held some meetings with different stakeholders to discuss the current status of the project implementation. Thanks to all who contributed to these inspiring and intense days in Chiang Mai. We are looking forward to the next steps.
Copyright of all the photos: Fraunhofer IMW