This research is based on the challenge in the field of thermal comfort between the steady state and adaptive comfort theories. It challenges the concept of standard ‘comfort zone’ and investigates the application of ‘adaptive opportunity’ in the workplace. The research question is: ‘Does thermal control improve user satisfaction in cellular and open plan offices? Norwegian vs. British practices’. Currently, centrally controlled thermal systems are replacing individual thermal control in the workplace (Bordass et al., 1993, Roaf et al., 2004) and modern open plan offices are replacing traditional cellular plan offices in Scandinavia (Axéll and Warnander, 2005). However, users complaint about the lack of individual thermal control (Van der Voordt, 2003), which is predicted as an important asset to the workplace in the future (Leaman and Bordass, 2005). This research seeks users’ opinion on improving their satisfaction, comfort and health in two environments with high and low levels of thermal control, respectively the Norwegian and British workplace contexts. Two air conditioned Norwegian cellular plan offices which provide every user with control over a window, blinds, door and the ability to adjust the temperature are compared against two naturally and mechanically ventilated British open plan offices with limited thermal control over the windows and blinds for occupants seated around the perimeter of the building. Complimentary quantitative and qualitative methodologies are applied, with a particular emphasis on grounded theory, on which basis the research plan is formulated through a process of pilot studies. Occupants’ perception of their thermal environment within the building is recorded through a questionnaire and empirical building performance through thermal measurements. These traditional techniques are further reinforced with semi-structured interviews to investigate thermal control. A visual recording technique is introduced to analyse the collected information qualitatively regarding the context and meaning. The ASHRAE Standard 55-2010 and its basis do not apply to the case study buildings in this research. This thesis suggests that thermal comfort is dynamic rather than fixed. Occupants are more likely to prefer different thermal settings at different times, which is in contrast with providing a steady thermal condition according to the standard ‘comfort zone’. Furthermore, the occupants of the Norwegian cellular plan offices in this research report up to 30% higher satisfaction, comfort and health levels compared to the British open plan offices, suggesting the impact of the availability of individual thermal control. This research suggests that rather than providing a uniform thermal condition according to the standard ‘comfort zone’, office buildings are recommended to provide a degree of flexibility to allow users to find their own comfort by adjusting their thermal environment according to their immediate requirements.

Le confort est devenu un enjeu major dans le monde de travail. Parmi les diverses disciplines qui s’intéressent à ce concept, nous avons choisi d’articuler deux disciplines, l’architecture et la psychologie environnementale, pour mieux le cerner. Ainsi nous nous sommes appuyés sur les travaux de Vischer (2004) et Rioux (2013) en psychologie environnementale et ceux de « la démarche HQE » en architecture pour définir le confort par deux dimensions : physique et psycho-environnemental (évaluatif et psychologique). La dimension physique sera cernée par « la démarche HQE » et la dimension psycho-environnementale par la satisfaction environnementale au travail (confort évaluatif) et l’attachement au lieu de travail (confort psychologique). Notre travail de doctorat se propose de comparer le confort psycho-environnemental des soignants dans deux structures hospitalières tunisiennes se différenciant par leur architecture (pavillonnaire et monobloc) et de cerner l’impact des variables psycho-organisationnelles (épuisement professionnel, stress au travail et stratégies de coping) sur le confort psychologique dans ces deux hôpitaux. Une enquête par questionnaire a été menée auprès de 297 soignants travaillant dans les deux hôpitaux. Les résultats montrent notamment que les soignants de l’hôpital monobloc sont plus attachés mais moins satisfaits de leur environnement de travail que ceux de l’hôpital pavillonnaire ; ils se sentent plus épuisés et stressés et utilisent davantage de stratégies de coping centré sur l’émotion. L’impact des variables psycho-organisationnelles sur le confort psychologique des soignants diffèrent en fonction du type d’hôpital. / Comfort has become a major issue in the world of work. Among the various disciplines that have been interested in this concept, we have chosen to articulate two disciplines, notably architecture and environmental psychology. As such, this research relies on the work of Vischer (2004) and Rioux (2013) in environmental psychology and those of the « HQE Approach » in architecture in order to define comfort in terms of two dimensions: physical and psycho-environmental (evaluative and psychological). The physical dimension will be identified through the « HQE Approach » while the psycho-environmental dimension will be detected via the environmental satisfaction in the workplace (evaluative comfort) and via the attachment to the workplace (psychological comfort).Our research is meant to compare the psycho-environmental comfort of professional care providers in two different Tunisian hospital structures and whose difference lies in the architecture (pavilion and monobloc). The research attempts to detect the impact of psycho-organisational variables (professional burn out, perceived occupational stress and coping strategies) on the psychological comfort of professional care providers in these two different hospitals. Therefore, a questionnaire survey covering 297 professional care providers working in the two hospitals has been relied upon as a research tool. The findings of the analysis tend to indicate that monobloc professional care providers are more attached to their workplace but they are less satisfied with their working environment than those working in the pavilion hospital. They are more exhausted and more stressed and they rather use the coping strategies which is centred on emotions. The impact of psycho-organisational variables on the psychological comfort of professional care providers depends on the type of hospital.