CLIMATE AND ARCHITECTURE

PRESENTED BY-AR.ROOPA CHIKKALGI

CLIMATE AND ARCHITECTURE
Weather
The weather of a place represents the state of the atmospheric environment over a brief period of
time.
Climate
Integrated weather condition over several years is generally referred to as climate. An analysis of the
climate of a particular region can help in assessing the seasons or periods during which a person may
experience comfortable or uncomfortable conditions.

The information helps a designer to build a house that filters out adverse climatic effects,
while simultaneously allowing those that are beneficial. The built-form and arrangement of
openings of a building can be suitably derived from this analysis.

Climate thus plays a pivotal role in determining the design and

construction of a building.
FACTORS AFFECTING
CLIMATE
FACTORS AFFECTING
CLIMATE
Both weather and climate are characterised by the
certain variables known as climatic factors. They are
as follows:
1. Solar radiation
2. Ambient temperature
3. Air humidity
4. Precipitation
5. Wind
6. Sky condition
7. Vegetation
Solar radiation
Solar radiation is the radiant energy received from the sun.
1.Solar radiation
• Solar radiation is the radiant energy received from the sun.
• It is the intensity of sunrays falling per unit time per unit area
and is usually expressed in Watts per square metre (W/m2 ).
• The radiation incident on a surface varies from moment to
moment depending on its geographic location (latitude and
longitude of the place), orientation, season, time of day and
atmospheric conditions.
• Solar radiation is the most important weather variable that
determines whether a place experiences high temperatures or is
predominantly cold.
• The instruments used for measuring of solar radiation are the
pyranometer and the pyrheliometer. The duration of sunshine is
measured using a sunshine recorder.
DEVICES USED FOR MEASURING THE
SOLAR ENERGY

PYRHELIOMETER
PYRANOMETER

SUNSHINE RECORDER
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Measurement of solar radiation
Pyrheliometer

Thermopile is an electronic device that converts thermal energy to electrical

energy.
 PYRANOMETER
• It measure the total hemispherical solar radiation.
• The value of the solar radiation is measured in W/m2.

CONSTRUCTION

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 WORKING
• When it placed in sun rays then it receive the radiation, due to
which the temperature of the surface(absorbing surface) start
rising.
• The rise in temperature of the absorbing surface is detected.
• The thermo emf is calibrated in terms of received radiation.

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Measurement of solar radiation
Sunshine recorder
 Sunshine recorder
• Measures the duration in hours of bright sunshine during the
course of the day.

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CONSTRUCTION
• Consist of a glass sphere installed in a section of “spherical metal
bowl” having groves for holding a recorder card strip and the glass
sphere.

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 WORKING
• Glass-sphere which act as a convex lens, focusses the sun’s rays to
a point on the card strip.

• Whenever there is bright sunshine the image formed is intense

enough to burn a spot on the card strip.

• The image moves along the strip due to the sun movement.

• Thus a burnt space whose length is proportional to the duration of

sunshine is obtained on the strip.

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Solar radiation
Solar radiation
EFFECT OF ORIENTATION
EFFECT OF SKY COVER
EFFECT OF TIME
2.Ambient temperature
• The temperature of air in a shaded (but well ventilated) enclosure
is known as the ambient temperature.
• It is generally expressed in degree Celsius (ºC).
• Temperature at a given site depends on wind as well as local
factors such as shading, presence of water body, sunny condition,
etc.

EFFECT OF SHADING EFFECT OF WATER BODY

 3. Air humidity
• Air humidity, which represents the amount of moisture present
in the air.
• High humidity accompanied by high ambient temperature causes
a lot of discomfort.
Measurement of relative
humidity
Hygrometer
4.Precipitation
• The definition of precipitation is any form of water - liquid or solid -
falling from the sky.
• Precipitation includes water in all its forms rain, snow, hail or dew.
• It is usually measured in millimeters (mm) by using a rain gauge.
Forms of Precipitation
Measurement of rainfall
Rain gauge
5. Wind
• Wind is the movement of air due to a difference in
atmospheric pressure.
• Wind speed can be measured by an anemometer and is
usually expressed in metres per second (m/s).
• It is a major design consideration for architects because
it affects indoor comfort conditions by influencing the
convective heat exchanges of a building envelope, as
well as causing air infiltration into the building

Factors affecting wind

Measurement of wind speed and
wind direction
Rotating cup anemometer

Kestrel 2500 hand-held

weather meter
ANEMOMETER
Measurement of wind speed
Sonic anemometer (for horizontal and vertical wind speed)
6. Sky condition
• Sky condition generally refers to the extent of cloud cover in the
sky or the duration of sunshine.
• Under clear sky conditions, the intensity of solar radiation
increases; whereas it reduces in monsoon due to cloud cover.

Effect of sky condition

7.Temperature
• Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses the
subjective perceptions of hot and cold.

• Temperature is measured with a thermometer, historically

calibrated in various temperature scales and units of
measurement.

• The most commonly used scales are the Celsius scale, denoted
in °C the Fahrenheit scale (°F), and the Kelvin scale.
Kata Thermometer
A device consisting principally of an alcohol thermometer, used to measure air
cooling power and, indirectly, small wind speeds in circulating air, by measuring
the time taken for the temperature of the bulb of alcohol to make a specified
drop
Globe Thermometer
The globe thermometer was introduced by
Vernon in 1930 as a means of assessing the
combined effects of radiation, air temperature
and air velocity on human comfort.
Vegetation
Vegetation
Vegetation
8. Vegetation
Plants Used for Climate Control
• For climate control, deciduous shade trees might be used to
screen the hot summer sun or in winter permit the solar
radiation to penetrate to the ground, or to the walls and
windows of a building.
• Large shrubs can serve as windbreaks to reduce wind velocities.
• Changes in solar radiation or light levels are also possible with
shading.

USE OF PLANTS TO DIRECT SUMMER BREEZES TREES CONTROLS SOLAR RADIATION

• In addition to these factors, a number of natural
elements such as hills, valleys, waterbodies, etc. affect
the climate locally.
• Buildings, cities and other man-made features also
have an impact on the climate.
Assignment-1
• What are the different factors affecting
climate? Explain with neat sketches of
measuring instruments and measuring
units if these elements. (10 marks)