This tolerance to relatively high temperatures
and humidities is likely to be a result of
adaptive activities, such as opening windows and
removing clothes, which form part of the daily life
in hot humid climates [27], as well as the homoeothermic
mechanisms of the body. Indeed, the
degree of adaptive opportunity can influence
thermal comfort expectation: people tend to
accept warmer environments more readily in their
homes than in offices, as they have more control
over their environments and activities in the
former situation [27]. Such impact of acclimatisation
in extending the comfort zone suggests
that passive design probably has greater potentialto provide thermal comfort in hot humid climates
than is generally believed. Also, theoretical comfort
standards which neglect acclimatisation, such as
ISO 7730: 2005 [28], are likely to be inappropriate
for free-running buildings in hot humid climates.