Abstract:The article presents a case study about thermal comfort in two public squares located in the coastal region of southeastern Brazil, within a post-occupational assessment context where it was sought to estimate the thermal sensation and perception of the users generating systematized knowledge about the built environment. The objective is to instruct future interventions for improvement in the living condition where it is particularly important for the success of the activities predicted there. Surveys on thermal comfort along with goers of the squares were held on three consecutive days in April 2013 and February 2014 with microclimate monitoring of the places adopting the predictive PET (physiological equivalent temperature) index calculated based on the bioclimatic model Rayman. The obtained data set generated valuable information about the pattern of thermal comfort allowing understanding the analytical correlations between PET index, climate variables and the perception of comfort. The article seeks to contribute towards the recognition of bioclimatic specificities in the project process aimed to the improvement of the environmental and social performance of public squares and aspects that are relevant to the urban planners.

The article presents a case study regarded to the studies of the ergonomics of the built environment by adopting a methodology of cognitive assessment of open spaces where evokes issues of environmental psychology that involves the system man-environment.In the course of this methodology interviews with goers of the square chosen randomly and with different ages, seeking to grasp levels of empathy and ownership with the environment were carried out.The study aims to contribute in environment-behavior studies serving as an auxiliary model in the diagnosis of environmental performance of open spaces.The methodological tool called "constellation of attributes" generates graphical models that allow visually identify qualifiers attributes in the cognitive framework.Induced questions about the imaginary environment (subjective) and real (objective) generate answers that demonstrate attributes of relevance and the resulting "psychological distance" associated with the affective functionality of habitat.The objective is to present a methodology useful to the dynamic work of architects and designers of the urban environment to allow means to focus the psychological awareness of the user by making an instrument for diagnostic analysis of the constructed environment.