Our Lord in the Attic: A Case Study

Indoor climate research

Data logger in church (photo; TU/e)Since the museum is concerned about the indoor climatic conditions and their effect on the building, collection and visitors, research into the current indoor climate was carried out. Climate data (relative humidity and temperature) was collected by the ICN in collaboration with the Technical University Eindhoven (TU/e) in several areas of the house over the period of one year. This climate data can be used to establish the actual impact of the current situation on the condition of the building and its collections.

In addition, data was collected about the carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the air, in order to investigate why visitors sometimes express feeling uncomfortable in the church, especially during events in summer. Looking at the air exchange rate in the church can help to establish a safe occupancy rate of the church.

An attempt to recreate historic indoor climatic conditions in the house, which were modeled using available historic outdoor climate data and the general knowledge of building properties and methods of heating in the past, will be discussed. There are three periods identified:
