**3. Methodology**

The study set out to determine if the homes built using the LAD-MA system, in the mid-90s, meet the contemporary comfort parameters described in the international standards ISO 7730 and ASHRAE 55. Given the results obtained, possible modifications to the construction system were studied, to optimize its performance and conform to the thermal envelope standards for housing. The above, understanding that the LAD-MA system was conceived as a self-construction method, economically accessible for families in conditions of socioeconomic vulnerability, who require housing solutions that can be extended over time; a problem still in force at the local level.

The study has been composed of two stages. The first stage, of an empirical nature, consisted of measuring environmental parameters in four existing houses *Evaluation of Well-Being and Thermal Comfort of the LAD-MA Construction System for Low… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.98699*

built under the LAD-MA construction system and located in the Peñalolén Commune in Santiago. This measurement was carried out by data loggers that assessed internal and external environmental parameters for six months. The external parameters measured were temperature and humidity, while the internal parameters were temperature, humidity, CO2 concentration, and noise. The data obtained through these data loggers allowed us to determine if the homes achieve thermal comfort standards, based on the PMV and PPD indicators, analyzing these according to the parameters established in the international standards ISO 7730 and ASHRAE 55. The measurements were analyzed based on periods of continuous occupation (24hrs), and limited periods of occupation (only the hours of occupation) under both standards. It is worth mentioning that some of the houses studied made use of heating systems during the winter period, so the measurement does not strictly reflect passive environmental conditions of the construction.

In the second stage of this study, possible modifications to the LAD-MA construction system were analyzed, in order to adjust the system to comply with the Chilean Thermal Regulations and thus, theoretically improve its compliance with the PMV and PPD indicators. To carry out this part of the study, possible constructive solutions were proposed to reduce the thermal transmittance of the LAD-MA system, using the static energy simulation tool Therm 7.7. The constructive adjustments were then represented in a dynamic thermal model of the LAD-MA architectural module, using the energy simulation tool DesignBuilder 6.1 and the Energy Plus 8.9 calculation engine, thus determining interior temperatures and the variation of PMV and PPD indicators.
