Climate Oriented Urban Design.Thermal comfort in urban spaces and energy saving potential in built environments

Abstract

The volumetric configuration of the urban textures and the materials that constitute the external surfaces, are the main factors that influence the microclimate of a city. Comprehend and being able to transform in an adequate way the urban settings could contribute to the improvement of the thermal comfort in outdoor and indoor built environments. By using as a principal indicator thermal comfort the variation of the external temperatures in an unprecedented collaboration between different scales and different environmental simulation systems, this paper analyses the energy saving potential given by the use of green and passive techniques and shows the synergies that may arise between outdoor and indoor spaces.