Mediterranean Morphologies in Hot Summer Conditions: Learning from France’s “Glorious Thirty” Holiday Housing
Climate change and rising temperatures lead to air-conditioning proliferation in summertime in Mediterranean regions. This study links urban morphology to microclimate. It claims that we can learn from holiday housing morphologies designed with an additive approach during the “Glorious Thirty” (1946-75) French coastal development. It is based on a morphological analysis of four case studies, with on the one hand re-drawing and site visiting, on the other hand assessment of environmental performance through key parameters: Absolute Rugosity, Compactness Ratio, Building Density, Mineralization, Sky View Factor (SVF) and H/W Ratio. Compared to literature reference values of a traditional courtyard morphology, the case studies are less compact and with lower H/W Ratio (higher SVF), but they are less mineral than an historical medieval city centre. This research contributes to the search for semi-collective alternatives (for example additive morphologies) to individual housing in peri-urban areas, with a high environmental performance in summertime.