Assessing microclimate and solar potential in courtyard morphologies: A comparative study of European urban blocks

Abstract

Urbanization perpetually reshapes cities including their urban morphology to adapt to the environmental changes. In Europe, there is a growing emphasis on sustainable architecture and urban planning with low energy consumption and less carbon emissions. Urban morphology and its parameters highly influence the energy consumption of buildings, but there is a study gap in understanding the interplay between them. Many European countries have implemented guidelines and regulations to promote sustainable building designs, however, urban morphology's role in sustainability is emerging, with much to explore.

This research explores the impact of different urban morphologies of existing residential buildings on their courtyards' solar potential and thermal comfort, in four European climatic contexts, as well as the differences that landscape materials make on UTCI values of these courtyards. Three different morphologies are analyzed through simulations in an urban scale. The results highlight that grassy lawn and concrete pavement make great difference of UTCI, in the oceanic climate with a maximum difference of 12.7 °C, followed by the humid subtropical climate with 11.9 °C, while the smallest difference is 5.7 °C in the humid continental climate. The findings will establish recommendations on energy optimization principles for architects and urban planners in urban design scenarios.