Poor hygrothermal performance exacerbates deterioration risk from mould growth, corrosion and damage to
archival materials. Improved microcomputers’ computational power has significantly advanced computational fluid
dynamics (CFD) models and research developments in indoor airflow, heat transfer and contaminant transport.
Nevertheless, numerous uncertainties exist in the CFD experiments which require adequate clarifications for improved
results’ reliability. This paper presents the measurement and validation of a CFD model for the investigation of the
hygrothermal performance in an indoor environment with known cases of microbial proliferations. The room, 5.2 m × 4.8
m × 3.0 m high, is air-conditioned and ventilated by constant air volume (CAV) system controlling the indoor airflow and
hygrothermal profiles with ceiling mounted four-way supply diffuser and extract grille for indoor air distribution. The
methodology combines in-situ experiment and numerical simulation with a commercial CFD tool using the standard k–ε
model. Microclimate and airflow parameters obtained from in-situ experiments were used as boundary conditions in the
CFD. The study shows a good agreement between the predicted and measured indoor hygrothermal profile with less than
10% deviation. The results indicate that the model can be employed for further investigation with high confidence
