A dataset from a coordinated multi-site laboratory study investigating the Hue-Heat-Hypothesis

Mateus Bavaresco ¹, Roberta Jacoby Cureau ^2,3, Ilaria Pigliautile ²

¹Laboratory of Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil.
²EAPLAB at CIRIAF - Interuniversity Research Center on Pollution and Environment, University of Perugia, Perugia, 06125, Italy.
³Department of Engineering, University of Perugia, Perugia, PG, Italy.
⁴Department of Building Services and Process Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary.
⁵Construction Technologies Institute, National Research Council of Italy (ITC-CNR), San Giuliano Milanese, 20098, MI, Italy.
⁶Controlled, Adaptive and Responsive Environments Laboratory (CARE), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
⁷Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA.
⁸Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
⁹Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, 01609, USA.
¹⁰Healthy Living Spaces Lab, Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
¹¹Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
¹²International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark.
¹³Department of Mechatronics, Optics and Engineering Informatics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary.
¹⁴Healthy Living Spaces Lab, Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany. mschweiker@ukaachen.de.
¹⁵Chair of Healthy Living Spaces, Faculty of Architecture, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany. mschweiker@ukaachen.de.

⁰Laboratory of Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil.

Scientific Data +

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September 19, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This study tested if light color influences how people feel heat. A large database from diverse global sites shows light hue can affect thermal perception, aiding building design.

Area Of Science

Environmental Psychology
Building Science
Human-Computer Interaction

Background

Cross-modal perception links environmental factors to human experience.
Occupant well-being and human-centric design require understanding these links.
The Hue-Heat Hypothesis (HHH) suggests light color impacts thermal perception.

Purpose Of The Study

To create and share a multi-site database for testing the Hue-Heat Hypothesis (HHH).
To enable research on how light hue affects thermal perception in diverse environments.
To support the development of human-centric building design strategies.

Main Methods

Developed an open-access, multi-site database under the IEA-EBC Annex 79 project.
Conducted 543 experimental rounds across eight laboratories in six countries.
Exposed participants to controlled thermal conditions with varied lighting (neutral, reddish, bluish) and collected physiological and perceptual data.

Main Results

The database provides comprehensive data on environmental variables, physiological responses (heart rate, skin temperature), and subjective perceptions.
Standardized protocols and technical documentation ensure data comparability across sites.
The collected data allows for robust analysis of the Hue-Heat Hypothesis.

Conclusions

The developed database is a valuable resource for investigating cross-modal environmental perception.
Findings support the potential influence of light hue on thermal comfort.
This research facilitates advancements in understanding multi-domain human comfort and physiological reactions in buildings.