Urban Facade Geometry on Outdoor Comfort Conditions: A Review

Abstract

<p>Designing urban facades is considered as a major factor influencing issues<br />such as natural ventilation of buildings and urban areas, radiations in the<br />urban canyon for designing low-energy buildings, cooling demand for<br />buildings in urban area, and thermal comfort in urban streets. However, so<br />far, most studies on urban topics have been focused on flat facades<br />without details of urban layouts. Hence, the effect of urban facades with<br />details such as the balcony and corbelling on thermal comfort conditions<br />and air flow behavior are discussed in this literature review. <strong>Aim</strong>: This<br />study was carried out to investigate the effective factors of urban facades,<br />including the effects of building configuration, geometry and urban<br />canyon’s orientation. <strong>Methodology and Results</strong>: According to the results,<br />the air flow behavior is affected by a wide range of factors such as wind<br />conditions, urban geometry and wind direction. Urban façade geometry<br />can change outdoor air flow pattern, thermal comfort and solar access.<br /><strong>Conclusion, significance and impact study</strong>: In particular, the geometry of<br />the facade, such as indentation and protrusion, has a significant effect on<br />the air flow and thermal behavior in urban facades and can enhance<br />outdoor comfort conditions. Also, Alternation in façade geometry can<br />affect pedestrians' comfort and buildings energy demands.</p>

Assessing and Comparing the Visual Comfort of Streets across Four Chinese Megacities Using AI-Based Image Analysis and the Perceptive Evaluation Method

“…In previous studies, it was found that the aesthetics, color and interface permeability of building façades [71,72] can improve street comfort under the same pattern of spatial building layout. Research attention has also been paid to the relationship between the texture and form of building façade and human visual evaluations [73]. In addition, the use of 'terrain' is an important design approach to enhance spatial interest [74], which may explain its positive influence on street comfort in this study.…”

A Study on the Visual Comfort of Urban Building Colors under Overcast and Rainy Weather

“…We believe that improving and enhancing the visual comfort of the color environment can have psychological, physical, and health impacts. Furthermore, visual comfort is considered a major factor affecting issues such as low-energy architectural design and urban street thermal comfort [56]. Designers can leverage this understanding to delve deeper into visual comfort within the ecological environment.…”

Analyzing The Effects of High-Rise Buildings with Glass Façades on Outdoor Human Comfort in The Jakarta Metropolitan Area

“…The use of a reflective façade, though it might be beneficial for the indoors, may cause glare that is unpleasant, even harmful, for the outdoor dwellers [8,43,59]. Another factor contributing to reflected glare in the outdoor environment is the building geometry-the form of individual buildings and the overall relationship between neighboring buildings [59,60]. Reflected glare is best avoided by minimizing the use of reflective surfaces-using flat or matte finishes instead-and by working with geometry, such as adjusting the angle of reflective materials to diffuse the reflection [12,59].…”