Adaptive comfort criteria in transitional spaces: a proposal for outdoor comfort

Urban Heat Island (UHI) as a combined consequence of global warming and the cities diameter increase, continues to be technological challenges today. Different passive strategies related to the buildings and cities architecture design imply energy demand reduction achieving. Architectural elements such as courtyards become extraordinarily significant as passive cooling systems. The research aims to establish patterns and values of adaptive comfort in transition spaces, reflected in the thermal regulation capacity of these buildings thanks to the morphology of the courtyards, contributing also to possible state strategies for action in favor of reducing the effects of climate change

Thermal Sensation in Courtyards: Potentialities as a Passive Strategy in Tropical Climates

Climate change will bring changes to our living conditions, particularly in urban areas. Climate-responsive design strategies through courtyards can help to moderate temperatures and reduce the thermal stress of its occupants. Thermal response inside courtyard is affected not only by its morphological composition but also by subjective factors. Thus, standardized thermal scales may not reflect the stress of the occupants. This study investigated the impact on thermal attenuation provided by a courtyard located in a tropical climate under extreme cold and hot synoptic conditions by means of local thermal sensation scales. Microclimatic variables were monitored, simultaneously with the application of a thermal comfort questionnaire, by using weather stations installed outside and inside the courtyard. The Modified Physiological Equivalent Temperature Index (mPET) was utilized to predict the heat stress. Calibration was conducted using linear regression to attribute particular thermal sensation votes to correspondent mPET values. It was found that thermal sensation can be affected by factors such as psychological, behavioral, and physiological. The courtyard’s form provides a passive cooling effect, stabilizing interior thermal sensation, with attenuation peaks of 6.4 °C on a cold day and 5.0 °C on a hot day. Courtyards are an alternative passive strategy to improve thermal ambience in tropical climate, counterbalancing climate change

Albedo influence on the microclimate and thermal comfort of courtyards under Mediterranean hot summer climate conditions

The Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect represents a threat to the well-being of cities. Cities must adapt to this phenomenon, prioritizing the improvement of outdoor environment quality. Urban materials have a great impact on outdoor environment quality, energy demand, and citizens’ well-being. Based on the literature, it can be stated that changing the albedo of on-site materials (pavements, facades) is a relevant strategy. The environmental impact of reflective materials from buildings to urban microclimate has been widely discussed in the literature. However, few publications assess the role of albedo in inner courtyards. This work uses simulation results to evaluate the impact of different surface albedo on the thermal performance and comfort of a courtyard in Seville. To do so, the simulation tool ENVI-met, one of the most widely used for outdoor spaces, is validated through a comparison with monitoring results. In conclusion, high reflectance compromises user comfort up to 5 ◦C of PET despite the fact that the use of high albedo on surfaces reduces surface temperature up to 25 ◦C in comparison with low albedo as it accumulates less heat by reflecting more solar radiation. Some of the recommendations given include the use of medium albedo (around 0.4) on walls to balance positive and negative effects, and high albedo on the pavements (above 0.7

Tempering potential-based evaluation of the courtyard microclimate as a combined function of aspect ratio and outdoor temperature

Courtyards are traditional construction models in Mediterranean cities. In this research, tempering performance of courtyards during a two-year field monitoring campaign in southern Spain was investigated. The main objective was to identify the thermal functions of inner courtyards, analyzing the aspect ratio (AR) and the influence of outdoor temperature to offer a perspective that contributes to the development of passive cooling strategies for urban housing. This investigation also reviewed these climate modifiers, in light of the average lifespan of a building, to establish thermal tempering guidelines to mitigate the effects of climate change. The results show that, although the AR is a determining factor in maximizing the courtyard tempering potential, other parameters such as diurnal temperature range (DTR) or maximum outdoor temperature (MOT) can significantly modify the influence of the AR. The study demonstrates these interactions verifying, for the climates studied, that courtyards with AR > 3 are appropriate solutions, especially in the warmest zones, enhancing microclimate management in summer. Results evince that courtyard maximum thermal performance is related to MOT increase. This factor is crucial to establish a tempering initial potential for a given courtyard. Apart from this, a complete daily cycle analysis through DTR confirms and clarifies this thermal buffer effect

Extending the adaptive thermal comfort models for courtyards

Temperatures in Mediterranean cities are rising due to the effects of climate change, with a consequent increase in the heat waves frequency. Recent research has shown the tempering potential of semi-outdoor spaces such as courtyards, which are semi-enclosed spaces that are widely used by the users of buildings in Mediterranean cities. International standards addressing thermal comfort parameters provide technical guidelines for indoor spaces only. Expanding this concept, this paper focuses on the potential to extend and interpret the existing calculation models for indoor thermal comfort, EN 16798 and ASHRAE 55, to determine thermal comfort, monitoring two different courtyards in Cordoba, Spain, during both typical summer and heat wave periods. The results show that during the typical summer, the monitored courtyards can reach temperatures up to 8.4 °C cooler than outside. Subsequently can be considered to be in thermal comfort on average for 88% of the time according to EN 16798, and 75% according to ASHRAE 55, which drop to 71% and 52% respectively during heat wave (HW) periods, in spite of increasing thermal gap (TG) up to 13.9 °C. The results are also compared with the PET indicator used for evaluation of outdoor thermal comfort, which provides comparable figures: 81% summer and 73% HW. Implications of implementing passive shading strategies to increase comfort in these transition spaces are also evaluated. The research highlights the thermal potential and usefulness of courtyards in warm climates, so they can ultimately be included in the building analysis as a potentially comfortable and habitable space

Integrating courtyard microclimate in building performance to mitigate extreme urban heat impacts

Extreme heat events are expected to occur more often as a consequence of climate change. This paper quantifies the impact of urban climate on building performance and evaluates the benefits of specific microclimates, such as inner courtyards, to mitigate extreme heat impacts. A reference case study associated with two outdoor weather conditions, an inner courtyard and a local urban climate, was measured, simulated and validated in TRNSYS. The validated model was then compared to three building models with a single outdoor weather condition associated with the urban climate, weather data from a rural station and a typical year weather file. The models were evaluated in free-running conditions and with air-conditioning systems. The results show how urban climate can increase indoor discomfort hours by 32% in free-running conditions and demonstrate that courtyard microclimate can almost completely mitigate the impact of urban overheating in buildings, eliminating severe indoor discomfort hours by more than 88%. Moreover, the increase in cooling energy demand due to urban climate was reduced by more than 15% in the case of having air-conditioning systems. The findings manifest the importance of accurate weather data for building simulation and demonstrate how multi-nodal outdoor conditions can enable additional strategies to mitigate climate risks, highlighting urban microclimates as a promising strategy to tackle extreme heat events in buildings and citie

Impact of heightwidth proportions on the thermal comfort of courtyard typology for Spanish climate zones

Currently, international organizations such as UN admonish countries to adopt measures facing climate change effects. In the Paris Agreement (Nations, 2015) on climate change, global warming was limited up to 2°C. From the last climate change summit, held in Katowice (Poland) on December 3rd, 2018, the rules for a correct implementation of the Paris Agreement for 2020 were detailed. It is in this context of collective will to reduce the climate change effects, where courtyard acquires a singular meaning, especially in warm climates as the Spanish on

re-habitar El Carmen : Un proyecto sobre patrimonio contemporáneo

El proyecto _re-HABITAR suponía para el propio proceder de la institución un avance más allá del reconocimiento, registro, inventario o protección patrimonial de la arquitectura del siglo XX y del Movimiento Moderno para posicionarse en la acción preventiva y conservativa de ese legado contemporáneo. Para ello, la praxis patrimonial se aferraba a un modelo: el de la vivienda social en España en la segunda mitad del siglo XX; a un caso concreto: el de la barriada de Nuestra Señora del Carmen (Recasens Méndez-Queipo de Llano, 1958); y a un requisito fundamental: analizar un objeto vivo y en uso, aún con la presencia de quienes lo vivieron y usaron desde su origen

Estudio de estructura y cimentación de la Capilla del Sagrario de la Catedral de Sevilla

Universidad de Sevilla. Grado en Fundamentos de Arquitectur

Microclimatic resilience of the mediterranean courtyard: Assessing thermal comfort and energy-saving resulting from the implementation of passive strategies in the courtyards design

El aumento de las temperaturas medias globales, el fenómeno de la isla de calor urbana y la dependencia de los edificios de los combustibles fósiles, son retos tecnológicos cada vez más importantes en el panorama internacional. La preocupación por el consecuente disconfort térmico de las personas en este escenario, unido al hecho de que el consumo energético de los edificios provoca una reflexión acerca del papel que juega la arquitectura en este ámbito. La generación y recuperación en la arquitectura actual de espacios como el patio, característico de nuestro entorno geográfico y cultural, es una estrategia bioclimática fundamental. En las zonas cálidas del planeta el patio proporciona sombra; en las frías rompe la continuidad del viento generando microclimas; y en climas húmedos favorece la ventilación cruzada con un aumento de la porosidad constructiva. Paradójicamente, se asume su adaptación climática como una característica funcional evidente ligada a su origen, pero no existen herramientas de cuantificación que permitan estimar su comportamiento térmico y energético de forma fehaciente. La investigación se centra en el análisis y la optimización constructiva de patios como elementos confortables y de ahorro energético vinculados a los procesos de acondicionamiento de los edificios. Se trata de una investigación que estudia cuantitativamente la utilidad de los espacios de transición como estrategias pasivas de ahorro energético y de confort. La oportunidad del estudio radica en la necesidad de concebir edificios energéticamente eficientes con las prescriptivas prestaciones de confort en el actual escenario de cambio climático. Esta tesis doctoral pretende aportar respuestas a la problemática del calentamiento global a través de los patios, estableciendo patrones de diseño adaptables a diferentes zonas climáticas, favoreciendo la resiliencia térmica de nuestras ciudades. La investigación se estructura en cinco capítulos, que engloban mediante introducción y conclusiones, tres fases principales: implementación en los patios de diferentes estrategias pasivas, evaluación del confort térmico adaptativo, e influencia de los patios en la demanda energética de los edificios.Rising global average temperatures, the Urban Heat Island (UHI) phenomenon and the dependence of buildings on fossil fuels are increasingly important technological challenges on the international scene. Reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predict that global air temperatures will rise between 1.4 and 5.8°C by the end of the century. Concern about the resulting thermal discomfort of people in the urban environment in this scenario, coupled with the fact that the energy consumption of buildings is related to excess CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, prompts reflection on the role of architecture in this area. One of the 17 priority goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015, included in the European 2030 framework for sustainable development, is precisely SDG 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. This objective would be truly possible thanks, among others, to the progress in research on the passive design of eco-efficient strategies in the urban environment. These studies are focused on strengthening the position of the European Union (EU) in the global scientific and technological landscape, as well as on proposing solutions to the major challenges facing European citizens in a climate change scenario. The understanding and vindication in today's architecture of transitional spaces such as the courtyard, a characteristic articulating element of our geographical and cultural environment, is unavoidable as it implies a fundamental bioclimatic strategy. In warm areas of the planet, the courtyard provides shade; in cold areas it breaks the continuity of the wind, generating microclimates; and in humid climates it favours cross ventilation with an increase in the porosity of the construction. Paradoxically, its climatic adaptability and attenuation are assumed to be obvious functional characteristics linked to its origin, but there are no quantification tools that allow us to estimate its thermal and energy performance reliably