Climate & Built Environment

Climate & Human Comfort

Unit-1
Characteristcics of Climate

Presentation by,
Ar.Vijay Vinithan B.Arch.,M.Arch.,A.I.I.A
 Site climate
• Site Climate: Site climate establishes the scale.
Whatever the size of the project, it implies the
climate of the area available and is its use in
the horizontal and vertical context.
 Factors affecting Site Climate
• Local factors
• Air Temperature
• Temperature Inversion
• Humidity
• Precipitation
• Sky condition
• Solar Radiation
• Air movement
• Vegetation
• Urban climate
Local factors
 Local factors
• Topography: slope, orientation, exposure,
elevation, hills or valleys at or near the site.
• Ground surface: whether natural or
manmade, the reflectance, permeability, soil
temperature as these affect vegetation and in
turn affects the climate.
• 3d objects: such as trees, tree belts, fences,
walls and buildings as these may influence air
movement and cast shadows. It may also sub
divide the area into smaller units.
Air Temperature
 Air Temperature
• Depends on solar radiation. During the day,
the lowest layer of the air gets heated; the air
nearest to the ground gets the highest
temperature.
• On calm conditions within 2 m from the
ground, mixing of hot and cold air occurs and
the lower layers cause an upward eddy of
warm light air.
 Temperature Inversion
• This phenomenon is referred to temperature
inversion as the day time situation of
decreasing temperature with increase in
height is taken as normal.
• A difference of 7 to 8 m in height can cause a
difference of 5-6 degrees in air temperature.
Temperature Inversion
 Humidity
• Humidity is the amount of water vapour in the
air. Water vapour is the gaseous state of water
and is visible
• R.H-Relative Humidity is the ratio of the actual
amount of moisture present to the amount of
moisture the air could hold at a given
temperature, RH is expressed in %
• A.H-Absolute Humidity is the amount of moisture
present in unit mass or unit volume of air
Humidity
 Humidity
• The point at which the water vapor in air
condenses to form liquid is called Dew
point..When the dew point temperature is
reached low formation of fog will start.
 Precipitation
• Precipitation is the collective term used for
rain, snow, hail dew and frost. I.e. all forms of
water deposited from the atmosphere.
 Sky condition
• The presence or absence of clouds
• Remains the same over short distances, unless
there is a sudden drastic change in topograph
Sky condition
 Solar radiation
• Solar radiation are influenced by local factors
in 3 ways:
• Remains the same over short distances, unless
there is a sudden drastic change in topography
• Slope and orientation of the site.
• Hills, trees, buildings casting shadows on each
other.
Wind Movement
 Wind movement
• Winds are created because of the uneven
heating the Earth
• Air moves from high pressure to low pressure
• Areas that are warmer are low pressure areas,
so wind blows toward low pressure
• Areas that are colder are high pressure areas,
so wind blows away from high pressure
• Measured by Anemometer
 Special characteristics
• Thunderstorms are microclimatic
phenomenon but local topography can
influence their path.
• Dust and sand storms
• Earthquakes
• Any special characters relevant to existing
climate and its location
Special characteristics
 Vegetation
• Trees and vegetation form a layer between the
earth’s surface and the atmosphere.
• They affect the air temperature, humidity,
radiation and air movement.
 Urban climate
• Man made environments can create a micro
climate (Gandhipuram,Sai baba colony) of their
own different from the macro climate
(Coimbatore) of a region.
• Changed surface qualities : pavements and
buildings its absorbance
• Electronic items, engines, motor vehicles,
industries
• Atmospheric pollution: Waste products of boilers
from domestic and industrial chimneys, exhaust
of motors, fumes, vapours both tend to reduce
the solar radiation.
Urban climate
Switch over to characteristics of
climates