JAPANESE JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY

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The experiments aimed to clarify the responses of foot skin temperatures to mild cold stimuli and the effect of socks on these responses. The experiments were performed in 29 healthy young women in a climatic chamber temperature was kept at 26±1°C. Skin temperatures of the dorsum of foot, and the 1st and the 3rd toes were monitored with and without socks before, during, and after exposure of both feet to 11°C cool air for 20 min. Cold air was provided with equipment (box shape, air was circulated) . The data were divided into two groups, according to the course of the skin temperature change during cool-air exposure. The subjects who showed hunting response of the foot skin, ie the skin temperature rose more than 0.1°C, was defined as HR-group. The subjects whose skin temperatures fell smoothly without hunting was defended as NHR-group. Skin temperatures of 1st and 3rd toes in HR-group before cooling were significantly higher than in NHR-group. The fall of foot skin temperatures during cooling were smaller than in NHR-group. In the experiment with socks, the same difference between HR-group and NHR-group could observed. The results from comparison between experiment with and without socks can be summarized as follows. There were no significant difference in foot skin temperature before cooling. However, the fall of the skin temperature during 20 min cooling were significantly smaller both in HR-group and NHR-group. The data indicate that the experiment system used can be used to study quantitatively the inhibitory effect of socks on the skin temperature fall during cooling.

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This paper aims to review biometeorological and bioclimatic design of living environment and to propose its design concept from the view point of architecture and environmental control technology. In a stage of development of a modern architecture, steel, glass and concrete, which were mass-produced after the industrial revolution, have supported design and construction of the modern architecture. We should hold a role of air-conditioning in remembrance in this stage. An artificial environment depends on the air-conditioning system. Are we live in dependence on a machine civilization and mass energy consumption? This is a question to a biometeorologist and an architect for the next century. Primarily Japanese architectures and settlements were furnished with environmental control contrivances, e.g. a pent roof, the eaves, windbreak etc., adapted to their natural features and climate. It is important that we live under the influence of nature, especially climate. Only biometeorology can propose a concept to create a healty living environment for preservation of the global environment. Thus, it is necessary to establish a biometeorological and bioclimatic design method for designing or creating architectural and urban environments.

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