scholarly journals Adaptive comfort assessments in urban neighbourhoods: Simulations of a residential case study from London

2019 ◽  
Vol 202 ◽  
pp. 109322
Author(s):  
Kanchane Gunawardena ◽  
Koen Steemers
Urban Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Haven Hailu ◽  
Eshetu Gelan ◽  
Yared Girma

Indoor thermal comfort is an essential aspect of sustainable architecture and it is critical in maintaining a safe indoor environment. Expectations, acceptability, and preferences of traditional and modern buildings are different in terms of thermal comfort. This study, therefore, attempts to evaluate the indoor thermal comforts of modern and traditional buildings and identify the contributing factors that impede or facilitate indoor thermal comfort in Semera city, Ethiopia. This study employed subjective and objective measurements. The subjective measurement is based on the ASHRAE seven-point thermal sensation scale. An adaptive comfort model was employed according to the ASHRAE standard to evaluate indoor thermal comfort. The results revealed that with regards to thermal sensational votes between −1 and +1, 88% of the respondents are satisfied with the indoor environment in traditional houses, while in modern houses this figure is 22%. Likewise, 83% of occupants in traditional houses expressed a preference for their homes to remain the same or be only slightly cooler or warmer. Traditional houses were, on average, in compliance with the 80% acceptability band of the adaptive comfort standard. The study investigated that traditional building techniques and materials, in combination with consideration of microclimate, were found to play a significant role in regulating the indoor environment.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria F. Burns ◽  
Jean-Pierre Lavoie ◽  
Damaris Rose

Objective. To explore how older people who are “aging in place” are affected when the urban neighbourhoods in which they are aging are themselves undergoing socioeconomic and demographic change.Methods. A qualitative case study was conducted in two contrasting neighbourhoods in Montréal (Québec, Canada), the analysis drawing on concepts of social exclusion and attachment.Results. Participants express variable levels of attachment to neighbourhood. Gentrification triggered processes of social exclusion among older adults: loss of social spaces dedicated to older people led to social disconnectedness, invisibility, and loss of political influence on neighbourhood planning. Conversely, certain changes in a disadvantaged neighbourhood fostered their social inclusion.Conclusion. This study thus highlights the importance of examining the impacts of neighbourhood change when exploring the dynamics of aging in place and when considering interventions to maintain quality of life of those concerned.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3091 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raúl Castaño-Rosa ◽  
Carlos Rodríguez-Jiménez ◽  
Carlos Rubio-Bellido

The design and construction of buildings is currently subject to a growing set of requirements concerning sustainability and energy efficiency. This paper shows a case study of the Torre Sevilla skyscraper, located in the city of Seville (in the south of Spain), which has high-tech energy-efficient features and which uses air-conditioning systems during most of its operating hours. The analysis carried out starts from a simulation in which occupants’ thermal comfort are obtained, based on the adaptive comfort model defined in the standard EN 15251:2007. With this approach, it is possible to determine the number of hours during operation in which the building has adequate comfort conditions only with the help of the envelope and natural ventilation. Consequently, the remaining useful hours require the use of air-conditioning systems. The results show that it is possible to improve the thermal performance of the building due to its location in the Mediterranean climate. To do this, advanced mixed mode (through manual-opening or mechanically-controlled opening windows) and active air-conditioning are suggested. This experimental proposal provides a reduction of the occupation hours which require the use of air-conditioning equipment by 28.57%, reducing the air-conditioning demand and, consequently, the energy consumption of the building.


1996 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 687-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Beguin ◽  
V Leiva Romero

This paper is aimed at assessing how far an individual-level analysis can contribute to our knowledge of neighbourhood familiarity over space and time. An appropriate theoretical framework and a careful methodology (with special attention to variable control and measurement problems) are used to gain new insights into processes of neighbourhood cognition. Although classical results are corroborated at the aggregate level, specific results are derived at the individual level: (1) large differences are found between individual learning processes; (2) differences in individual cognition decrease over time. Methodological conclusions are also provided. The main likely conclusion is that currently unidentified variables are to a large extent responsible for the observed impressive diversity of individual learning processes. This is a challenge to future research on cognition.


2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 2770-2774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly A Gudzune ◽  
Claire Welsh ◽  
Elisa Lane ◽  
Zach Chissell ◽  
Elizabeth Anderson Steeves ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectiveOur objective was to pilot collaborations between two urban farms with two corner stores to increase access to fresh produce in low-income neighbourhoods.DesignWe conducted a pre–post evaluation of two farm–store collaborations using quantitative distribution and sales data. Using semi-structured interviews, we qualitatively assessed feasibility of implementation and collaboration acceptability to farmers and storeowners.SettingLow-income urban neighbourhoods in Baltimore, MD, USA in 2012.SubjectsPair #1 included a 0·25 acre (0·1 ha) urban farm with a store serving local residents and was promoted by the neighbourhood association. Pair #2 included a 2 acre (0·8 ha) urban farm with a store serving bus commuters.ResultsProduce was delivered all nine intervention weeks in both pairs. Pair #1 produced a significant increase in the mean number of produce varieties carried in the store by 11·3 (P<0·01) and sold 86 % of all items delivered. Pair #2 resulted in a non-significant increase in the number of produce varieties carried by 2·2 (P=0·44) and sold 63 % of all items delivered.ConclusionsOur case study suggests that pairing urban farms with corner stores for produce distribution may be feasible and could be a new model to increase access to fruits and vegetables among low-income urban neighbourhoods. For future programmes to be successful, strong community backing may be vital to support produce sales.


2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally McDonald ◽  
Naglis Malys ◽  
Vida Malienė

Over the past few decades, cities have been subjected to severe social and economic pressures, which have had a disproportionate impact on the urban environment. Consequently, this has increased the concentration of the most deprived households in the worst urban neighbourhoods. The UK Governments have attempted to tackle the physical, social and economic consequences of these changes through a variety of mechanisms and policy initiatives with varying degrees of success. The current objective can be interpreted as an attempt to implement regeneration projects or create sustainable communities/places through multi‐agency or partnership programmes. The nature and extent of urban problems are now very well documented; there has been a considerable learning process in the development of different urban regeneration programmes. Over the 20th and the beginning of 21st centuries, the nature of urban regeneration policy has changed direction several times and has applied different focuses. Today, a “sustainable community” is a key issue in an ambitious Government programme “umbrella”. As an objective of the present programme, the UK Government introduced the Sustainable Community Plan in 2003, describing a vision of how our communities are to be developed over next 20 years economically, socially and environmentally, while respecting the needs of future generations. The paper assesses how closely the Regeneration Programme is aligned to the Sustainable Communities Plan. The research within several surveys focuses on sustainable communities and urban regeneration, both have certain parallels and functional overlaps. Santrauka Šiuo metu siekiama įdiegti atgaivinimo projektus ir sukurti darniąsias bendruomenes pasitelkiant partnerystės programas. Darniosios bendruomenės kūrimas yra viena svarbiausių problemų, analizuojamų JK vyriausybės programoje. 2003 m. JK vyriausybes sukurtame darniųjų bendruomenių plane pateikiama vizija, kaip mūsų bendruomenės turetų vystytis ekonomiškai, socialiai ir aplinkos atžvilgiu per ateinančius 20 metu, atsižvelgiant į ateities kartų gerovę ir poreikius. Analizuojama, kaip glaustai miestų atgaivinimo programa yra suderinta su darniųjų bendruomenių kūrimo planu. Tyrimai, pagrįsti tiesioginėmis apklausomis, įvertina darniųjų bendruomenių ir miestų atgaivinimo pletrą bei sąsajas.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Sánchez-García ◽  
Carlos Rubio-Bellido ◽  
Jesús Pulido-Arcas ◽  
Fco. Guevara-García ◽  
Jacinto Canivell

Comfort analysis of existing naturally ventilated buildings located in mild climates, such as the ones in the Mediterranean zones, offer room for a reduction in the present and future energy consumption. Regarding Spain, most of the present building stock was built before energy standards were mandatory, let alone considerations about global warming or adaptive comfort. In this context, this research aims at assessing adaptive thermal comfort of inhabitants of extant apartments building in the South of Spain per EN 15251:2007 and ASHRAE 55-2013. The case study is statistically representative housing built in 1973. On-site monitoring of comfort conditions and computer simulations for present conditions have been carried out, clarifying the degree of adaptive comfort at present time. After that, additional simulations for 2020, 2050, and 2080 are performed to check whether this dwelling will be able to provide comfort considering a change in climate conditions. As a result, the study concludes that levels of adaptive comfort can be considered satisfactory at present time in these dwellings, but not in the future, when discomfort associated with hot conditions will be recurrent. These results provide a hint to foresee how extant dwellings, and also dwellers, should adapt to a change in environmental conditions.


2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 423-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theofanis Psomas ◽  
Per Heiselberg ◽  
Karsten Duer ◽  
Mikkel Meyer Andersen

Stakeholders, researchers and designers apply different overheating metrics because they follow different comfort theories or comply with different regulations and standards. As a result, there is no common ground for generalization, intercomparison and final concordance of their conclusions. Correlation of indices would simplify the analysis being conducted during the design (optimization process) or operational (comfort assessment) phase of buildings. This research compares and statistically correlates results of seven widely used long-term overheating indices on four ‘free-running’ representative dwellings and characteristic climatic conditions of central Europe (Denmark, United Kingdom, Austria and France). Different renovation steps and passive cooling strategies were applied on these case studies creating 66 variants for comfort assessment. The analyses were conducted with the use of a dynamic energy performance engine and widely accepted calculation methods and statistical tools. The statistical analyses show that dynamic indices originate from the same adaptive comfort theory directly related with each other. In addition, it is possible to create general and widely applied relationships between static overheating indices independently of the case study and climatic condition.


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