Effect of high-rise buildings on the surrounding thermal environment

Abstract

High-rise buildings degrade the thermal environment of their surroundings through wind turbulence, cooling, and excessive heating. This study identifies the role and relationship of geometric (form, orientation, dimension) and material (type, volume) parameters in conditioning the thermal environment around high-rise buildings. We performed the field measurements at four widely separated high-rise apartment buildings at different elevations (675–1050 m above sea level) in Bandung, Indonesia. Temperature, air velocity, and humidity were measured within a 150 m radius around each building three times daily (08–10 a.m., 12–04 p.m., and 06–08 p.m.) for three days in February. Airflow and shading patterns were analysed with Ansys-Fluent CFD and SketchUp software, respectively. Both direct observation and simulations showed that different orientations of buildings relative to the sun and wind can heat or cool the surrounding areas. The sail effect of a high-rise building exposed to direct sunlight can cause hot spots behind the building; choice of building material and use of shadowing can reduce this effect. The wind-tunnel effect can cause cold paths, especially if the area is shaded. Air turbulence and high-velocity airflow can result in uncomfortable conditions in the surroundings, based on the building height. Thus, high-rise buildings profoundly affect local thermal conditions. The results of this study are therefore essential for designing new buildings (and mitigating environmental quality around existing ones) in tropical cities.