Sayad, Bouthaina ， Osra, Oumr Adnan ， Qattan, Wajdy S. ， Alfelali, Mohanad A.
2026-04-06 JOURNAL OF ASIAN ARCHITECTURE AND BUILDING ENGINEERING 2026 null(卷), null(期), (null页)
Indoor thermal discomfort remains a major challenge in residential buildings located in hot semi-arid climates. This study evaluates indoor thermal discomfort across floors and unit spaces in an occupied residential building in M'Daourouch city, north-eastern Algeria, to identify priority zones for targeted passive retrofit interventions. A simple methodology based on field measurements was applied under free-running conditions. Indoor air temperature (Ta degrees C) and relative humidity (RH %) were monitored during daytime hours to assess floor-level and intra-floor thermal behaviour. Thermal discomfort was quantified using an adjusted temperature exceedance index and a combined discomfort index, integrating wet-bulb temperature (WB) and dew point temperature (DP), to identify the discomfort hotspots. The findings indicate that upper floors, circulation and service spaces experiencing the highest combined thermal stress during late afternoon and evening periods. The entrance, staircase, kitchen, and loggia were identified as primary discomfort hotspots, demonstrating strong potential for targeted phase change material (PCM) retrofit.