Fergus Nicol has led a number of important research projects on comfort which have influenced thinking internationally. He has authored numerous journal articles and other publications including guidance on comfort and overheating. Fergus convenes the Network for Comfort and Energy use in Buildings and organises their regular international Windsor Conferences. Michael Humphreys is known for his pioneering work on the adaptive approach to comfort. He has been Head of Human Factors at the Building Research Establishment, and a Research Professor at Oxford Brookes University. His current interests are the structure and modelling of human adaptive behaviour, the interactions between aspects of the environment, and their expression in standards. Sue Roaf conducted her PhD on comfort and the windcatchers of Yazd, and after a decade working with Nicol and Humphreys at the Oxford Thermal Comfort Unit she moved to Scotland to become Professor of Architectural Engineering at Heriot Watt University in 2007. She is a teacher, researcher, designer, author and editor of 13 books including Ecohouse: A Design Guide and Adapting Buildings and Cities for Climate Change.
In a world where fossil fuels are becoming ever scarcer, the challenge of designing buildings requires a new approach. This is the first in a trilogy that aims to explain how we stay comfortable by using our bodies, minds, buildings and their systems to adapt to indoor and outdoor conditions - Building Design