Citation
Tumini, Irina and Higueras García, Ester and Baereswyl Rada, Sergio
(2015).
Urban microclimate and thermal comfort modelling: strategies for urban renovation.
"International Journal of Sustainable Building Technology and Urban Development"
;
pp. 95-102.
ISSN 2093-7628.
https://doi.org/10.1080/2093761X.2016.1152204.
Abstract
The urban microclimate plays an important role in building energy consumption and thermal
comfort in outdoor spaces. Nowadays, cities need to increase energy efficiency, reduce pollutant
emissions and mitigate the evident lack of sustainability. In light of this, attention has focused on the
bioclimatic concepts use in the urban development. However, the speculative unsustainability of
the growth model highlights the need to redirect the construction sector towards urban renovation
using a bioclimatic approach. The public space plays a key role in improving the quality of today’s
cities, especially in terms of providing places for citizens to meet and socialize in adequate thermal
conditions. Thermal comfort affects perception of the environment, so microclimate conditions can
be decisive for the success or failure of outdoor urban spaces and the activities held in them. For these
reasons, the main focus of this work is on the definition of bioclimatic strategies for existing urban
spaces, based on morpho-typological components, urban microclimate conditions and comfort
requirements for all kinds of citizens. Two case studies were selected in Madrid, in a social housing
neighbourhood constructed in the 1970s based on Rational Architecture style. Several renovation
scenarios were performed using a computer simulation process based in ENVI-met and diverse
microclimate conditions were compared. In addition, thermal comfort evaluation was carried out
using the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) in order to investigate the relationship between
microclimate conditions and thermal comfort perception. This paper introduces the microclimate
computer simulation process as a valuable support for decision-making for neighbourhood
renovation projects in order to provide new and better solutions according to the thermal quality
of public spaces and reducing energy consumption by creating and selecting better microclimate
areas.