Evaluation of summer thermal conditions and the environmental efficiency of different urban square designs in Mendoza, Argentina

Abstract

The aim of this study is to assess the impact of design decisions on the thermal performance and environmental efficiency of the squares in Mendoza's city. Three case studies were selected to evaluate the performance of different structures on the squares. Air temperature measurements were registered by fixed sensors for a 40 days period in the warm season of 2012. The sensors were placed in different structures (forest, meadow and centre) of the square and its urban environment, along an axis oriented from north to south. Also, the value of the sky view factor (SVF) was estimated and it was digitized the hemispheric solar path for all points evaluated. The results highlight the need to reexamine the structures of existing spaces from the point of view of their design schemes. The traditional square of symmetrically distribution does not seem to combine, in an efficient way, the different variables involved in its thermal behavior: materiality, distribution of the vegetation and sun exposure. It was also observed that thermal and environmental efficiency can be improved, independently of other factors, with an appropriate space design when the square is placed in an urban environment characterized by a low building density.