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MICROCLIMATE

What is Microclimate??

Microclimate refers to very localised weather conditions around buildings or small

neighbourhood clusters. Microclimatic phenomena are localised at the scale of

building or building cluster and include air movement, precipitation, and

temperature. Building location and geometry can aect microclimate especially in

dense urban areas where air movement can be distorted to form wake and

downwash phenomena that reduce the liveability of external space.

Why use Microclimate design?

A well considered microclimatic strategy in the design of buildings and urban space,help reduce exposure and to contribute to the success of well used external space.

Careful attention to building form can ensure that potentially harmful wind eects

are mitigated around tall buildings. he use of shelter belts, both natural and

constructed reduce exposure to the faces of buildings therefore reducing excessive

heat loss and protecting external !nishes from premature deterioration.

Microclimate is a critical design issue for both architecture and landscape

architecture disciplines and a shared sensibility encourages eective

transdiciplinary and crossdisciplinary collaboration.

When to Use a microclimatic strategy?

"esigning for microclimate is relevant particularly in dispersed, low density

settlements. Conversely, it is also vital to consider in dense urban areas with a wide

variety of building plan form and height. #roposals that include external amenity

and recreational space are relevant.

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How to use Microclimate esign?

!ey "oints#

$Consider building form to protect external spaces including courtyard

con!gurations

$all buildings can bene!t from an aerodynamic form including simple measures

such as smoothed o corners. %acades that are modelled reduce the impact of

downwash vortex eect.

$#lanted windbreaks are most eective in reducing exposure to and around

buildings.

$Avoid katabatic &downhill' winds carrying high density air down a slope.

$Avoid placing a building either in frost pockets or alternatively on exposed hilltop

locations. (se topography to shelter a building.

$Avoid placing a building either in frost pockets or alternatively on exposed hilltop

locations. (se topography to shelter a building.

$(se techni)ues such as planted facades and earth berming to protect buildings

form wind exposure.

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*ules of thumb

+uidance on the siting of buildings in non urban locations.

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(sing building elements to protect against exposure.

"esign #rocedure

-tep here is no single design procedure to design for microclimate. /owever,detailed knowledge of site, context and surrounding environmental conditions is

critical. "esigners should collect information regarding topography, hydrology,

existing planting, sun paths, and the form and position of existing buildings. he

programme of the proposal should be clearly developed to ascertain the importance

of external space for amenity and recreational use.

-tep 0 Critical microclimatic eects should be identi!ed and prioritised. he

architectural proposal should respond to this.

-tep 1 *esponses vary widely depending on location and programme. /owever,

consideration should be given to the use of building form to aord protection forexample in the formation of courtyards, or openings to leeward side of buildings.

opography and planting should be considered to mitigate the eects of exposure

around buildings through the use of shelter belts and earth berming and mounding.

-tep 2 3n dense urban areas, protected 4ones to be formed by canopies at ground

level. Building forms should be designed to retard eects such as downwash vortex

and wake eects that can accelerate windspeed. his can be achieved through

softening corners of buildings and producing highly modelled facades.

Archaeolink by 5dward Cullinan Architects is a good example of sheltering exposed

external space with groundworks.

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-ome straightforward principles for the design of a simple building.