Improving urban heat risk resilience
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Architecture
Abstract
This project falls under the EPSRC theme of 'Living with environmental change' (sub theme 'Infrastructure') and 'Energy' (sub theme 'Energy efficiency').
My 2015 research M.Phil project considered urban climate influences on residential energy use. Since then I have been exploring and simulating urban
cooling measures and their resulting effects, with particular reference to evaporative cooling strategies. This latter focus consequently is the essence of
my doctoral project proposal (uploaded separately), which has been accepted by the Department of Architecture with Professor Koen Steemers agreed
as my principal supervisor. The general aims of the proposed project falls within the EPSRC's themes of 'Living With Environmental Change (LWEC)'
and 'Energy'. The project is relevant for LWEC objectives of engaging with environmental change and the need for protection against high-impact
extreme events, particularly within urban systems where water (evaporative) resources could be managed to mitigate heat risks. The outcomes of this
project are envisaged to present urban design pathways for reducing climate thermal loading on the built-environment, which in turn would contribute to
the 'Energy' theme's objectives of delivering energy efficient cities.
My 2015 research M.Phil project considered urban climate influences on residential energy use. Since then I have been exploring and simulating urban
cooling measures and their resulting effects, with particular reference to evaporative cooling strategies. This latter focus consequently is the essence of
my doctoral project proposal (uploaded separately), which has been accepted by the Department of Architecture with Professor Koen Steemers agreed
as my principal supervisor. The general aims of the proposed project falls within the EPSRC's themes of 'Living With Environmental Change (LWEC)'
and 'Energy'. The project is relevant for LWEC objectives of engaging with environmental change and the need for protection against high-impact
extreme events, particularly within urban systems where water (evaporative) resources could be managed to mitigate heat risks. The outcomes of this
project are envisaged to present urban design pathways for reducing climate thermal loading on the built-environment, which in turn would contribute to
the 'Energy' theme's objectives of delivering energy efficient cities.
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/N509620/1 | 01/10/2016 | 30/09/2022 | |||
| 1930753 | Studentship | EP/N509620/1 | 01/10/2017 | 30/09/2021 | Kanchane Gunawardena |
| EP/R513180/1 | 01/10/2018 | 30/09/2023 | |||
| 1930753 | Studentship | EP/R513180/1 | 01/10/2017 | 30/09/2021 | Kanchane Gunawardena |
| Description | To meet the challenge of implementing green infrastructure enhancements to address climate risks in densely built cities, attention has been directed in recent times towards encouraging sur-face greening approaches. The thesis presented here acknowledged this trend and examined how the typology described as 'vertical greening' contributes to this climate resilience enhancement of urban built environments. The project engaged with case study-based quantitative measurements and simulation methods to answer research questions concerned with the microclimate modification and resultant energy use influence presented by installations, in building-scale sheltered environments (e.g., an indoor atrium and a semi-outdoor court), and outdoor neighbour-hood-scale canyon environments. It also engaged with qualitative interview and observational methods to address concerns related to the maintenance and sustainability of wider application of installations. The key monitoring findings from temperate climate sheltered applications highlighted hygrothermal and airflow modifications to be most apparent within the 1-2 m proximate zone, with other phenomena typically introducing airflow mixing to disrupt influence distribution. The potencies of these were relatively modest, and less than those presented in the literature for outdoor installations (maximum mean air temperature reduction of 0.3 K and relative humidity increase of 5.5% at the indoor atrium study, in contrast to 0.9 K air temperature reduction and 13.7% relative humidity increase at the semi-outdoor court study). The modifications nevertheless presented thermal sensation and diversity opportunity to occupants as a significant benefit. The building-scale simulation findings of the same temper-ate climate case studies highlighted these influences to contribute to thermally moderated microclimates. For the semi-outdoor court this translated to surface flux reductions, with living wall application offering the most (84-90%), followed by green façade application (37-44%). Such reductions could translate to energy use savings if the occupied environments implement mechanical cooling. This was exemplified by the indoor study simulations, where a net annual energy consumption saving for the atrium zone was estimated (69% with living wall and 71% with green façade application). The neighbourhood-scale simulation results also demonstrated widespread outdoor application to have improved the thermal climate of street canyons to benefit pedestrians (summer daytime cool island occurrences increased by 39% for central urban and 3.4% for suburban canyons), as well as present annual net energy use savings to the canyon buildings (between 0.8 and 5.2%). These benefits were pronounced most for the central urban than suburban context, while living walls presented greater influence than traditional green façades in both urban backgrounds. The synthesis of both observational and simulation findings broadly supports the wider applicability of such installations in densely built temperate climate cities; with the thesis discussing concerns and making recommendations for installation designers. Furthermore, the project presented two novel model coupling pathways for assessing building and neighbourhood-scale vertical greening influence, which would enable urban planners, architects, and installation designers to expediently utilise this typology of green infrastructure to enhance urban built environments and benefit the health, comfort, and wellbeing of their ever-growing occupant populations. |
| Exploitation Route | The project presented two novel model coupling pathways for assessing building and neighbourhood-scale vertical greening influence, which would enable urban planners, architects, and installation designers to expediently utilise this typology of green infrastructure to enhance urban built environments and benefit the health, comfort, and wellbeing of their ever-growing occupant populations. |
| Sectors | Construction,Environment,Other |
| Title | Vertical greening model (VGM) |
| Description | The project's aim of delivering analysis pathways that enable built environment practitioners to determine the expedient application of vertical greening was met with the development of the VGM and resulting analysis coupling pathways (elaborated through exemplar application studies). These Pathways (urban building & neighbourhood-scale) now provide the means for vertical greening application considerations to be front-loaded to building and urban design approaches, which in turn will offer technically sound reasoning for utilising such strategies and prevent costly and unsightly failures of future installations. |
| Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The project presented two novel model coupling pathways for assessing building and neighbourhood-scale vertical greening influence, which would enable urban planners, architects, and installation designers to expediently utilise this typology of green infrastructure to enhance urban built environments and benefit the health, comfort, and wellbeing of their ever-growing occupant populations. |
| Description | Lecture to Undergraduate Students at the Department of Architecture, Cambridge University. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Lecture to Undergraduate Students at the Department of Architecture, Cambridge University. Lent Term Lectures |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Lecture to Undergraduate Students at the Department of Architecture, Cambridge University. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Lent Term Lecture to Undergraduate Students at the Department of Architecture, Cambridge University. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Paper and presentation at the 35th PLEA Conference, held in A Coruña, Spain 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Paper and presentation at the 35th PLEA Conference, held in A Coruña, Spain 2020 (virtual conference owing to pandemic), with many academic and professional interests engaged. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.plea2020.org |
| Description | Paper and presentation at the CISBAT 2019 international conference, held in Lausanne, Switzerland 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Paper and presentation at CISBAT 2019 | Climate Resilient Cities - Energy Efficiency & Renewables in the Digital Era, international conference, 4-6 September 2019, EPFL Lausanne, Switzerland. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://cisbat.epfl.ch |
| Description | Paper and presentation at the Cities and Climate Conference, Potsdam, Germany. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Paper and presentation at the Cities and Climate Conference, Potsdam, Germany. Final conference of the RAMSES project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://ramses-cities.eu/ccc2017 |
| Description | Paper and presentation at the International Conference on Urban Comfort and Environmental Quality (URBAN-CEQ), Genoa, Italy. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Paper and presentation at the International Conference on Urban Comfort and Environmental Quality (URBAN-CEQ), Genoa, Italy. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://gup.unige.it/sites/gup.unige.it/files/pagine/URBAN-CEQ.pdf |
| Description | PhD Conference 2020, Department of Architecture, University of Cambridge. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | PhD Conference 2020, Department of Architecture, University of Cambridge. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |