Oases throughout the world have become important ecosystems to replenish food and water supplies. The Saharan Oases exist above the largest underground water supplies in the World. In North Africa, oases witness significantly growing populations in the oasis towns and receive thousands of tourists yearly. In oasis settlements, the majority of the population spends most of the time outdoors, in extremely hot conditions; however, few studies have investigated urban outdoor thermal comfort conditions. Therefore, this study aimed to assess thermal comfort in the Tolga Oasis Complex and test the validity of the 'oasis effect' concept. The methodology is based on comparative field measurement and calculation approaches in the heart of Tolga Palm Grove and in different urban settlements. Results indicate highest heat stress levels (Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) index) in the oases Palm Grove in July, PET = 41.7 • C, and urban settlements, PET = 40.9 • C. Despite the significant difference between the old and new settlement fabrics, our measurements and calculation did not identify any noticeable variation of thermal comfort. Thus, the oasis effect on the outdoor thermal comfort was insignificant (during July and August 2018). Finally, the study discusses ways to improve outdoor spaces design and relieve heat stress in the settlements of Tolga.
Engineers use double-skin façades (DSF) to lower the energy consumption of buildings as they can potentially control incoming wind speeds and the amount of solar heat gain. The purpose of this present study was to (1) evaluate the use of DSFs, (2) its efficacy in improving the energy performance of high-rise office buildings in the hot, dry summer climate of the Mediterranean, and (3) to develop an optimum DSF model for this climate based on industry standards and recommendations for high-performance DSF parameters. In order to determine the efficiency of DSFs, two distinct variables, building orientation and the number of DSFs used, were taken into consideration. This study adopted an experimental (generate and test) research design and used Autodesk® Ecotect® Analysis software to develop computer simulations with which to assess 15 single façades, juxtaposed façades, three façades, and four façades on cardinal orientations. The recorded energy consumption and savings were then compared with that of the reference model. The results indicated that the three DSF model, i.e., the S14 model, reduced energy consumption during heating by 28% and by 53.5% when cooling a high-rise office building located in the hot, dry summer climate of the Mediterranean (Csa).
In the last few decades, sustainability had been introduced as one of the major concepts of design. It is the key to preserve a safe future for our communities. This concept introduces many techniques that change the way to read the urban configuration of urban heritage to search for the main parameters in urban space that manage the relation between designers think; it changes also the configuration of urban and architectural environment. First we try to space configuration and urban behavior. This study has as aim to create a model of analyzing urban space as a support of urban behavior and a generator of social sustainability through preserving heritage and traditional values. The analysis model is drawn theorically then tested on a set of case studies of historical city centers to prove its efficiency; the main case tested in this work is the historical center of Constantine (Casbah). The analysis model is based on space syntax methods and parameters, using applied analysis based on plans of different historical phases of urban growth and on site investigation. As a conclusion, we try by this work to show parameters of sustainability in urban space and the influence of urban changes on these parameters. The analysis model can be used to show how to use these parameters in future design operations to ensure urban sustainability.
Oases settlements are common entities of human agglomerations throughout desert regions. Oases settlements face several environmental challenges such as climate change, which can render them insufferably hot and unlivable within decades. Therefore, this study aims to assess the outdoor thermal comfort variation within three different oases urban fabrics of Tolga Oases Complex in Algeria. The overarching aim is to quantify thermal comfort and guide landscape, and urban designers improve outdoor thermal comfort. The methodology relies on microclimatic measurements and weather datasets (TMY2, TMY3, TMYx), combining observations and numerical simulations. A total of 648 Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) values were calculated in three different urban fabrics in Tolga Oases Complex, Algeria. Between 2003 and 2017, a remarkable microclimatic change was found, causing a high and accelerated heat stress level of 76%. The study results inform architects, urban planners and climatologists about climate change effects and urban sprawl impact on the oases lands. Moreover, urban strategies should seek mitigation and adaptation benefiting from the existing green infrastructure of palm groves.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.