Thermal Climate Research Articles

Study of a Novel 3D Façade Configuration and Its Impact on Energy Performance and Office Space Sustainability

This research paper examines how multi-angled façade systems improve and optimise energy performance compared to a flat façade and meet sustainability targets for lower energy use to align with UN SDGs 3, 11, 12, and 13. The multi-angled façade system does not tilt up and down. Instead, it employs two different window orientations on a vertical axis (left and right). The large portion orients more to the north to allow more daylight to penetrate inside the room, and the small part is oriented more to the south to provide passive solar heating. The investigations in this research paper were carried out using version 4.8 of the IDA ICE software, and the researchers evaluated the energy consumption, the energy action through the façade, and the building’s inside operative temperature. The results of this paper present the simulation findings for primary energy consumption in different scenarios. For example, the researchers explain that one can save 6.3 kWh/(m2·year) when using a multi-angled façade system compared to a flat façade. This is in addition to improving the thermal indoor climate that results from using the façades. The conclusions of the research show that the façade with multiple angles maximises using daylight and optimises solar power, thus avoiding overheating issues.

A Study on Outdoor Thermal Comfort of College Students in the Outdoor Corridors of Teaching Buildings in Hot and Humid Regions

It is important to create a favorable environment for various student activities and interactions by improving the thermal comfort of semi-outdoor spaces in teaching buildings. However, there has been limited research focusing on the thermal comfort levels of college students in these areas, such as corridors (access ways connecting different buildings outdoors). This study aims to assess the thermal comfort levels of college students in the corridors of teaching buildings in hot and humid regions. Based on field measurements and questionnaire surveys, the study evaluated the thermal comfort levels of male and female college students. The findings indicate the following: (1) air temperature and air velocity are the primary thermal environmental parameters affecting college students in corridor spaces, regardless of gender; (2) physiological equivalent temperature (PET) and Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) were used as indices to evaluate the thermal environment of outdoor corridor spaces. Males and females perceive the outdoor environment as hot when PET (UTCI) values reach 33.5 (34.5) °C and 33.3 (33.5) °C, respectively. When the PET (UTCI) values reach 39.0 °C (37.5 °C) for males and 37.7 °C (38.3 °C) for females, individuals in corridor spaces will face extreme heat stress; (3) females find it more challenging than males to tolerate hot outdoor environments. The unacceptable temperatures for males and females are 31.1 °C and 31.8 °C, respectively; and (4) in hot outdoor environments, females are more susceptible than males to experiencing fatigue and negative emotions. The results of this study provide valuable insights for the future design and renovation of teaching buildings on university campuses.

Generative design of walkable urban cool spots using a novel heuristic GAN×GAN approach

Enhancing pedestrian-level outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) and walkability in urban environments is vital for mitigating thermal risks induced by global warming. This study introduces walkable urban cool spots (WUCS), a novel concept which incorporates pedestrian walkability into the design of thermally comfortable urban street blocks. The methodology combines OTC simulation, pedestrian walkability analyses, and surrogate models based on integrated generative adversarial networks (GAN×GAN)-enhanced genetic generative design (GGD) approach. And maximize the design metrics of WUCS through the multi objective optimization algorithm in GGD. The method is tested in To Kwa Wan, an urban renewal area in Hong Kong. Results demonstrate that it can efficiently identify high-performing WUCS solutions, with proportion of WUCS areas increasing from 53.3 % to 74 %, and the number of walkable urban cool spots increasing by 51 %. The average universal thermal climate index (UTCI) in high walkability areas decreasing from 31.7 °C to 30.5 °C, and total average UTCI during extreme heat days dropping from 31.73 °C to 31.22 °C. This research thus contributes an efficient design tool for enhancing both pedestrian-level OTC and walkability in urban environments.

Prioritizing social vulnerability in urban heat mitigation.

We utilized city-scale simulations to quantitatively compare the diverse urban overheating mitigation strategies, specifically tied to social vulnerability and their cooling efficacies during heatwaves. We enhanced the Weather Research and Forecasting model to encompass the urban tree effect and calculate the Universal Thermal Climate Index for assessing thermal comfort. Taking Houston, Texas, and United States as an example, the study reveals that equitably mitigating urban overheat is achievable by considering the city's demographic composition and physical structure. The study results show that while urban trees may yield less cooling impact (0.27 K of Universal Thermal Climate Index in daytime) relative to cool roofs (0.30 K), the urban trees strategy can emerge as an effective approach for enhancing community resilience in heat stress-related outcomes. Social vulnerability-based heat mitigation was reviewed as vulnerability-weighted daily cumulative heat stress change. The results underscore: (i) importance of considering the community resilience when evaluating heat mitigation impact and (ii) the need to assess planting spaces for urban trees, rooftop areas, and neighborhood vulnerability when designing community-oriented urban overheating mitigation strategies.

Thermal performance and energy efficacy of membrane-assisted radiant cooling outdoors

Membrane-assisted radiant cooling systems offer a promising solution for directly cooling human bodies in outdoor settings. In this study a prototype system is experimentally assessed, which comprised of two wall-mounted panels and one ceiling-mounted panel with the cooling provided by a water chiller system. Three different radiant panel surface temperatures (Tsur =14.3°C, 17.8°C, 21.9°C) were tested to observe possible condensation and to measure the heat flux, and a thermal comfort survey was conducted in combination to analyze the system energy efficacy. The results indicate that selecting appropriate panel surface temperatures under different ambient universal thermal climate index (UTCI) conditions can not only effectively avoid energy surplus but also improve thermal comfort for people. When the ambient UTCI is 38.1°C, the panel surface temperature needs to be lowered to 14.3°C to achieve neutral thermal sensation while 333.7 W of cooling energy is required; but when the ambient UTCI is 29.9°C, a panel surface temperature of 21.9°C would suffice with a much lower energy demand. It is also concluded that the surface condensation may occur but can be controlled. This experimental study provides solid data for the further development of radiant cooling technology for open-space applications.

Increasing heat waves frequencies over India during post-El Niño spring and early summer seasons

The increasing frequency of extreme Heat Waves (HWs) has generated significant societal impacts in recent years. This study used different observational datasets to investigate the HW characteristics over India during the post-El Niño spring and early summer seasons (April to June; AMJ). Analysis suggests that HW days are more prevalent over India, predominantly increased in south-central and northwest India, during the decaying phase of strong El Niño years. It is found that anomalous anticyclone circulation accompanied by high pressure extending from the Western North Pacific region towards the Bay of Bengal and India is responsible for enhanced HW days and intensity during the AMJ of strong El Niño decay years. This anomalous anticyclone-induced downdraft reduces the specific humidity in the lower troposphere, leading to decreased cloud cover over India. As a result, shortwave radiation is enhanced at the surface, which causes abnormal HWs over India. During the decaying phase of strong El Niño years, the HW days over India contributed to an increase in the frequency of Discomfort Index hours (above 28 °C), maximum temperatures exceeding 40 °C (hours per day), and Universal Thermal Climate Index days above 38 °C and 46 °C during the spring and early summer months, especially in the East Coast, central, and northwestern parts of India. Thus, proper prediction of large-scale atmospheric circulation over the Indo-western Pacific region during El Niño can help to predict the HW conditions three months in advance. This would help to implement suitable adaptation measures and put into practice strong mitigation policies to limit the increased risk of such events during AMJ of El Niño decay years.

Long-term thermal acclimation enhances heat resistance of Hong Kong catfish (Clarias fuscus) by modulating gill tissue structure, antioxidant capacity and immune metabolic pathways

The rapid temperature changes caused by global warming significantly challenge fish survival by affecting various biological processes. Fish generally mitigate stress through physiological plasticity, but when temperature changes exceed their tolerance limits, even adaptable species like Siluriformes can experience internal disruptions. This study investigates the effects of extreme thermal climate on Hong Kong catfish (Clarias fuscus), native to tropical and subtropical regions. C. fuscus were exposed to normal temperature (NT, 26 ℃) or high temperature (HT, 34 ℃) condition for 90 days. Subsequently, histological, biochemical, and transcriptomic changes in gill tissue were observed after exposure to acute high temperatures (34 ℃) and subsequent temperature recovery (26 ℃). Histological analysis revealed that C. fuscus in the HT group exhibited less impact from sudden temperature shifts compared to the NT group, as they adapted by reducing the interlamellar cell mass (ILCM) and lamellae thickness (LT) of gill tissue, thereby mitigating the aftermath of acute heat shock. Biochemical analysis showed that catalase (CAT) activity in the high temperature group continued to increase, while malondialdehyde (MDA) levels decreased, suggesting establishment of a new oxidative balance and enhanced environmental adaptability. Transcriptome analysis identified 520 and 463 differentially expressed genes in the NT and HT groups, respectively, in response to acute temperature changes. Enrichment analysis highlighted that in response to acute temperature changes, the NT group inhibited apoptosis and ferroptosis by regulating the activity of alox12, gclc, and hmox1a, thereby attenuating the adverse effects of heat stress. Conversely, the HT group increased the activity of pfkma and pkma to provide sufficient energy for tissue repair. The higher degree of heat shock protein (Hsp) response in NT group also indicated more severe heat stress injury. These findings demonstrate alterations in gill tissue structure, regulation of oxidative balance, and the response of immune metabolic pathways to acute temperature fluctuations in C. fuscus following thermal exposure, suggesting potential avenues for further exploration into the thermal tolerance plasticity of fish adapting to global warming.

Optimization framework for daylight and thermal environment of retractable roof natatoriums based on generative adversarial network and genetic algorithm

This paper proposes a framework for multi-objective optimization of indoor daylighting and thermal comfort in natatoriums with retractable roofs, using genetic algorithms and building performance simulation. The goal is to balance daylight illumination and thermal comfort under different roof opening states. Efficiency of computational fluid dynamics simulation is improved by a multi-objective optimization framework based on non-dominated sorting genetic algorithms, integrating a generative adversarial network to learn the environmental map. The study analyses the impact of different roof opening ratios on environmental objectives and establishes regression equations to support optimization and accurate decision-making. In the optimal opening state, compared to a fully closed roof, the daylight factor and natural airflow velocity increase by up to 3.9 and 5.3 times, respectively, while the universal thermal climate index decreases by 1.0 °C. The introduction of a generative adversarial network proxy model significantly improves computational efficiency, accelerating natural airflow velocity calculation by 70–100 times and reducing simulation time by 98.6 %. This study expands predictive models from the urban scale to the building scale, enhancing simulation efficiency and promoting the application of deep learning models and genetic algorithms in climate-responsive building environment assessment and prediction.

Comparative analysis of the spatiotemporal patterns and trends of three types of summer heatwaves in China (1981–2020) using a biometeorological index

AbstractUnder global warming, heatwaves (HWs) are exerting increasing impacts on human life. In order to explore the thermal sensation of HWs under the combined influence of air temperature, humidity, radiation and wind speed, this study utilized the hourly Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) data from the ECMWF Reanalysis v5 (ERA5) to define daytime, night‐time and compound HWs, and then comparatively analysed their occurrences in China during 1981–2020. Results revealed that daytime HWs affect the majority of regions in China with the exception of the Tibetan Plateau, while both night‐time and compound HWs mainly strike the Yangtze River Basin and the Guangdong–Guangxi region in southeastern China. Additionally, it is noteworthy that a substantial portion of regions experiencing night‐time HWs also encounter compound HWs. The frequency and intensity of all three types of HWs show increasing trends generally in regions where HWs occur. The spatial coverage of HWs grows at rates of 8.05%/10a, 2.11%/10a and 1.62%/10a for the daytime, night‐time and compound types, respectively. For each summer month, the spatial coverage of daytime HWs notably surpasses that of night‐time and compound HWs. Further classifying HWs with intensity, it is found that the spatial coverage of both moderate and severe HW events exhibits discernible rising trends across all three types of HWs. Furthermore, regions with higher HW frequencies are more likely to experience severe HWs as well as record‐breaking ones. Additionally, the spatial coverage of daytime, night‐time and compound record‐breaking HWs is expanding.

Sensitivity and vulnerability to summer heat extremes in major cities of the United States

Abstract Many cities are experiencing more frequent extreme heat events during summer because of the global temperature rise and the urban heat island effects. Yet, how the rising temperature impacts urban residents differently is still not clear. Here we leveraged urban microclimate modeling to map the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), a more complete indicator of human heat stress at an unprecedentedly fine spatial resolution (1 m) for 14 major cities in the United States. We examined the different heat exposure levels across different socioeconomic and racial/ethnic groups in these cities, finding that income level is most consistently associated with heat stress. We further conducted scenario simulations in a hypothetical 1 ºC increase of air temperature in all cities. Results show that a 1 ºC increase would have a substantial impact on human heat stress, with impacts that differ across cities. The results of this study can help us better evaluate the impact of extreme heat on urban residents.

Exploring the risk of heat stress in high school pre-season sports training, Johannesburg, South Africa.

There is growing concern over the increased risk of heat stress induced by the changing climate, with increased global temperatures expected to exacerbate conditions. Heat stress in school sports is a critically understudied research area in South Africa (SA). As demonstrated by several studies conducted in the global north, the stress elicited by meteorological conditions on students participating in physical education lessons and after-school sports activities could have serious consequences on their health. This paper represents the first research in the region to investigate the risk of heat stress to school students during physical activity. Meteorological data were collected at a school in Johannesburg between March and July, which encompasses the seasons of late summer, autumn, and winter. These were inputted into four heat stress indices: Humidex, Heat Index, Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, and the Universal Thermal Climate Index, together with the measured Wet Bulb Temperature to determine the level of risk of heat stress during physical education lessons and after-school sports activities between March and July. Of the 2700 index scores calculated over this period, 56% indicate some level of heat stress, with almost 6% indicating a high and very high level of risk. Heat stress is calculated to be most likely to occur between 11h00-15h00, and the danger of pre-season training, which takes place in the summer months, is demonstrated by these results. Additionally, this research finds that heat stress is far more likely on artificial surfaces than on natural grass. The findings of this research intimate that school stakeholders should consider the implications of heat stress when considering timetabling and policy-making in the interests of safeguarding their students.

Evaluating the influence of ambient conditions in the cooking space of railway pantry car using selected thermal indices and physiological parameter.

Hot and humid indoor environment of the kitchen affects worker performance. The Indian Railway's pantry car culinary is one of them that cooks food for the on-board passengers, which could be bothered by the hot indoor climate. The current study aimed to identify the indoor working environment of the railway "pantry car" using heat stress indices such as "Universal Thermal Climate Index-UTCI," "Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature-WBGT," "Discomfort Index-DI," "Tropical Summer Index-TSI," "Heat Index-HI," and Heart Rate-HR with clothing insulation. METHODS: The study was performed in 2018 (August-summer season) to collect field survey data on 6 railway pantry cars. Measurements were carried out during peak cooking times such as morning "7 : 00 am", day "11 : 30 am", evening "4 : 00 pm," and night "6 : 30 pm". This study's descriptive and Pearson's correlation analysis was accomplished using SPSS version 2016 software. The analysis results revealed that the average values were for UTCI (37.77±5.26°C), WBGT (30.42±2.28°C), DI (30.05±2.70°C), TSI (33.21±2.90°C), HI (48.53±4.86°C), correspondingly. During analysis, the strongest correlation association was observed between "TSI and DI" (r = 0.985, p < 0.000) and WBGT and TSI (r = 0.958, p < 0.000). A "significant correlation" was found between UTCI and HI (r = 0.637, p < 0.05). While no signification correlation was found between "heat stress indices and physiological parameters (p > 0.05)". In this study, all the heat stress index limit values showed highly harsh working conditions inside the pantry car, which created unfavorable circumstances for the culinarians. Inappropriate "ventilation design" could be a reason for discomfort in the railway pantry car.

GIS-ODE: linking dynamic population models with GIS to predict pathogen vector abundance across a country under climate change scenarios.

Mechanistic mathematical models such as ordinary differential equations (ODEs) have a long history for their use in describing population dynamics and determining estimates of key parameters that summarize the potential growth or decline of a population over time. More recently, geographic information systems (GIS) have become important tools to provide a visual representation of statistically determined parameters and environmental features over space. Here, we combine these tools to form a 'GIS-ODE' approach to generate spatiotemporal maps predicting how projected changes in thermal climate may affect population densities and, uniquely, population dynamics of Ixodes ricinus, an important tick vector of several human pathogens. Assuming habitat and host densities are not greatly affected by climate warming, the GIS-ODE model predicted that, even under the lowest projected temperature increase, I. ricinus nymph densities could increase by 26-99% in Scotland, depending on the habitat and climate of the location. Our GIS-ODE model provides the vector-borne disease research community with a framework option to produce predictive, spatially explicit risk maps based on a mechanistic understanding of vector and vector-borne disease transmission dynamics.

Exploring the effects of landscape interventions on outdoor thermal comfort using digital simulation

Abstract The assessment of outdoor thermal comfort plays an important role in design decisions and encourages better planning and development of outdoor environments. This study explores the potential effects of landscape interventions on outdoor thermal comfort, testing two thermal comfort indicators on a selected hospitality development. Results are crucial factors to consider as the success of hospitality developments and its outdoor spaces are dependent on how visitors perceive and interact with them. Digital simulations were conducted using Rhinoceros software and the Grasshopper tool to produce heat maps. For the purpose of the study, two sets of simulations were developed to examine changes in the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) and Incident Radiation of the site – a) buildings alone and b) with landscape elements. As a result, UTCI with landscape intervention decreased by 2°C while Incident Radiation is significantly lower throughout spaces provided with shading elements. Results of UTCI simulations still deliver strong heat stress to occupants, while Incident Radiation has considerably improved with landscape interventions. The provision of shading elements helped lessen solar radiation penetrating the site, thus improving the thermal comfort of users. Wind velocity showed minimal effects on perceived heat based on the UTCI assessment scale. Nonetheless, improvement in the planning and orientation of buildings and strategic provision of demountable sun shading elements in future developments are recommended to allow better air circulation.

Maternal exposure to bioclimatic stress and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in Western Australia: identifying potential critical windows of susceptibility

The anthropogenic climate change may impact pregnancy outcomes. Rather than ambient temperature, we aimed to use a composite bioclimatic metric (Universal Thermal Climate Index, UTCI) to identify critical susceptible windows for the associations between bioclimatic exposure and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs) risk. Daily UTCI exposure from 12 weeks of preconception through pregnancy was linked to 415,091 singleton pregnancies between 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2015 in Western Australia. Adjusted weekly-specific and cumulative odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia were estimated with distributed lag non-linear and standard non-linear logistic regressions. Exposures from early pregnancy to week 30 were associated with greater odds of HDPs with critical susceptible windows, particularly elevated at the 1st (10.2 °C) and 99th (26.0 °C) exposure centiles as compared to the median (14.2 °C). The most elevated ORs were 1.07 (95% CI 1.06, 1.08) in weeks 8–18 for gestational hypertension and 1.10 (95% CI 1.08, 1.11) in weeks 11–16 for preeclampsia for the 99th exposure centile. Cumulative exposures associated with HDPs with relatively higher but less precise ORs. The effects of high exposure to HDPs indicated sociodemographic inequalities. The identified critical periods and subpopulations could benefit from climate-related interventions.

Comparing the efficacy of different climate indices for prediction of labor loss, body temperatures, and thermal perception in a wide variety of warm and hot climates.

The purpose of this study was to investigate which climate/heat indices perform best in predicting heat-induced loss of physical work capacity (PWCloss). Integrating data from earlier studies, data from 982 exposures (75 conditions) exercising at a fixed cardiovascular load of 130 beats·min-1, in varying temperatures (15-50°C), humidities (20-80%), solar radiation (0-800 W·m-2), wind (0.2-3.5 m·s-1), and two clothing levels, were used to model the predictive power of ambient temperature, universal thermal climate index (UTCI), wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), modified physiologically equivalent temperature (mPET), heat index, apparent temperature (AT), and wet bulb temperature (Twb) for the calculation of PWCloss, skin temperature (Tskin) and core-to-skin temperature gradient, and thermal perception (thermal sensation vote, TSV) in the heat. R2, RMSE, and Akaike information criterion were used indicating model performance. Indices not including wind/radiation in their calculation (Ta, heat index, AT, and Twb) struggled to provide consistent predictions across variables. For PWCloss and TSV, UTCI and WBGT had the highest predictive power. For Tskin, and core-to-skin temperature gradient, the physiological models UTCI and mPET worked best in seminude conditions, but clothed, AT, WBGT, and UTCI worked best. For all index predictions, Ta, vapor pressure, and Twb were shown to be the worst heat strain predictors. Although UTCI and WBGT had similar model performance using the full dataset, WBGT did not work appropriately in windy, hot-dry, conditions where WBGT predicted lower strain due to wind, whereas the empirical data, UTCI and mPET indicated that wind in fact increased the overall level of thermal strain. The findings of the current study highlight the advantages of using a physiological model-based index like UTCI when evaluating heat stress in dynamic thermal environments.NEW & NOTEWORTHY There is an urgent need to determine the optimal heat stress metric when forecasting the impact of heat stress on human performance, physiological stress, and perception. We analyzed a wealth of laboratory data, simulating heart rate (HR)-paced work with wide variations in air temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar radiation, and clothing. We conclude that the universal thermal climate index (UTCI) [followed by wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT)] is the optimal heat index to reliably predict reductions in performance, and elevations in physiological and perceptual stress.

Research on the outdoor thermal comfort of children in Hangzhou and Its influence on the underlying surface reflectance.

The outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) of children is more specific than that of adults, and the complex influence of outdoor activity spaces on children's thermal comfort warrants further investigation. To investigate the outdoor thermal comfort baseline (OTCB) of children in Hangzhou and explore the thermal impact of outdoor surfaces on children, a survey was conducted in six typical outdoor activity spaces in Hangzhou, China, during spring and summer utilizing physical measurements, questionnaire surveys, and the universal thermal climate index (UTCI). This study analyzed the differences in thermal perception among children in Hangzhou in different seasons, their OTCB, and the impact of surface reflectance (Rs) on children's OTC. The results indicated the following: 1) In spring, children in Hangzhou generally felt comfortable, but their discomfort with heat noticeably increased in summer. 2) The neutral UTCIs (NUTCIs) for Hangzhou children were 11.6°C (spring) and 27.7°C (summer), and the NUTCI ranges (NUTCIRs) were 9.7-17.5°C (spring) and 25.7-30.0°C (summer); additionally, the thermal acceptability ranges (TARs) were 13.2-25.2°C (spring) and 11.8-34.8°C (summer). 3) A high Rs made children feel more uncomfortable with heat, which was primarily due to the space's total shortwave and longwave radiation, which peaked between 14:00 and 15:00. 4) Based on the research findings, corresponding bioclimatic design strategies were proposed. Recommendations include using high Rs underlays with shading, composite underlays, or the future adoption of thermochromic coatings. Keeping permeable underlays moist is essential for activating their cooling mechanisms. Fundamental safety measures are imperative. This study provides valuable data for urban planners and landscape designers to create public spaces suitable for children's outdoor activities, contributing to a harmonious and unified living environment.

Heat stress risk at an intra-urban level: A case study of Delhi, India

Cities throughout the globe are expanding due to rapid urbanization. The risk associated with heat on residents is increasing and thus requires interventions at an intraurban level. This study aims to determine the spatial distribution of the heat stress risk index (HSRI) in an urban area of Delhi (India). This study illustrates a novel technique using meteorological variables simulated from a numerical weather prediction urban canopy model (WRF-UCM) to generate the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) in the city of Delhi at a resolution of 333 m. The estimated UTCI is then optimally blended with the socioeconomic vulnerability and exposure indices generated through the identification of suitable parameters via principal component analysis (PCA). The analysis based on the high-resolution UTCI risk index showed that within the existing framework, 88 % of the city falls under a heat stress risk above the “Moderate to Highest” category of stress values, which explicitly affects the population and requires urgent interventions for the development of a resilient and sustainable city. The study also revealed that the areas with the highest UTCIs may not correspond to the zones related to the highest heat stress risk. This suggests that the HSRI rather than the UTCI alone should be the optimal indicator for consideration by stakeholders when developing policies to mitigate heat stress-related issues in urban areas under changing climate.

The project of Magdalena Gutiérrez: the poetics of living in the Atacama Desert. The four modes of climate management

This study addresses the issue of living in fragile ecological environments, such as oases in deserts. Currently, the oasis of San Pedro de Atacama is experiencing a decrease in its agricultural area due to urbanization and tourism, affecting the sustainability of traditional farming practices and putting at risk the ecological and cultural balance of this Atacamenian locale. The article presents sustainable design strategies for contemporary living in fragile environments, examining thermal qualities and climate control strategies applied to the “Workshop House” or Casa Taller of Magdalena Gutiérrez. Using the principles of Lisa Heschong and Eva Horn, the review also includes Reyner Banham's climate management modes. The methodology combines architectural and ethnographic analysis, structured in three stages: selection of works, construction of the conceptual framework, and analysis and systematization. Models, photographs, maps, and diagrams were used to contrast theories and thermal and cultural qualities with evidence from the work. Classification criteria included evaluating characteristics such as the degree of privacy of areas and rooms, ventilation, lighting, thermal insulation, and heating methods, with a binary rating employed for systematic evaluation. The results highlighted that Casa Taller manifests poetic living in the exteriority of the Atacama Desert, suggesting a vocation for community activities. The lighting qualities revealed a strategic design that maximizes controlled daylight, utilizing openings and skylights. It was concluded that the Casa Taller represents an expression of "Revisited Critical Regionalism." The "site-form" relationship is fundamental in this approach, balancing local techniques with cultural and natural surroundings. This work offers a sustainable model for living in fragile environments, where architectural design is appropriately integrated with the place’s climatic and cultural conditions.

Enhancing the city-level thermal environment through the strategic utilization of urban green spaces employing geospatial techniques.

Smart urban planning needs to have a multicriteria-based approach to prevent the deteriorating local thermal climate. Maximizing the cooling potential using the available grey infrastructure would be the utmost priority of future smart cities. Remote sensing and GIS can be the appropriate tools to develop a climate-resilient urban planning framework. Studies are needed to include different features of vertical and horizontal landscaping to mitigate heat stress and enhance liveability at the city level. With this goal, the current work outlined a holistic approach to efficiently using green spaces with minimal reconstruction. The problem of regional climate threat was evaluated with urban heat island characterization. Moran's I clustering identified nearly 12% of the study area to be under considerable heat stress during summer days. Multiple techniques, such as mapping local climate zones, segment mean shift-based roof extraction, vegetation index computation, solar azimuth-based green wall site selection, etc., were applied to formulate solutions and provide an integrated method for city-level environment enhancement. A considerable area was identified as most suitable for green roof cover, and it was also computed that the transition towards green roof at only these locations may bring down the maximum heat island intensity by 0.74°C. Additionally, solar zenith, illumination effect, and building height information were combined to create a distinct method where vertical plantation would flourish exceptionally. A rigorous assessment of more than 130 urban green spaces further quantified the relation between landscape geometry and cooling effect to provide optimum green space designs for future urban planning.