Microclimate

PASSIVE RESILIENCE

Recorded by Elizabeth Donovan, images by Essi Nisonen and Veera Saastamoinen

KEY READINGS 

• Urban Microclimate: Designing the Spaces Between Buildings. Evyatar Erell, David Pearlmutter, Terence Williamson. Earthscan

• The Urban Microclimate as Artifact: Towards an Architectural Theory of Thermal Diversity. Sascha Roesler, Madlen Kobi. Birkhäuser

• Climate and Architecture. Torben Dahl. Routledge

• Designing for the climate emergency, a Guide for Architecture Students. Pelsmakers, S., Donovan, E., Hoggard, A., Kozminska, U. RIBA

INSPIRATIONAL BUILT EXAMPLES

• Lycee Schorge Secondary School. Kéré Architecture. Burkina Faso

• House for Trees. VTN Architects. Vietnam

• ‘The Water’. Hiroshi Sambuichi.  Cisterns Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark.

• Muuratsalo experimental house. Alvar Aalto. Finland

MICROCLIMATE

The microclimate refers to the local climatic condition that exists within a small specific area such as a garden, park or urban street. It is influenced by factors such as the surrounding terrain, vegetation cover, topography and buildings. The urban heat island effect is a phenomenon where urban or developed areas are significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas, typically by several degrees Celsius. This effect is caused by a combination of factors related to human activities, including the construction of buildings and roads, the use of dark surfaces, loss of vegetation and the generation of heat by vehicles, machinery and other sources. Trees and other vegetation provide shade and cool the air through the process of transpiration, so when vegetation is removed or reduced, there is less shade and cooling, leading to higher temperatures. The urban heat island effect can have several negative impacts on human health, including increased risk of heart related illnesses, increased energy consumption and increased air pollution and greenhouse gas emission.