Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The paper presents the preliminary work in developing an Urban Albedo Calculator, an empirical model to predict changes in urban albedo in relation to changes in the urban fabric, materials, solar geometry, etc. It investigates... more
The paper presents the preliminary work in developing an Urban Albedo Calculator, an empirical model to predict changes in urban albedo in relation to changes in the urban fabric, materials, solar geometry, etc. It investigates experimentally, through a 1:10 scale model a case study in central London, and computationally, through RADAINCE, the impact of urban geometry and materials’ reflectance. Following the successful calibration of the model, the results highlighted the substantial impact of urban materials and their placement on urban albedo, demonstrating that biggest weighting of horizontal ground surfaces in the case of low rise environments. The effect of geometry was investigated through different scenarios, at ground and roof levels, as well as through changes in the H/W ratio. The results demonstrated that increasing the H/W ratio has the most significant impact on urban albedo, with the albedo changes varying under different sky conditions due to the orientation of the blocks
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
“Benefits of wood based designs include: exceptional insulator and energy saver; quick to build; environmentally friendly; aesthetically acrobatic; mechanical and working properties; safe, light, sturdy and durable; water resistant;... more
“Benefits of wood based designs include: exceptional insulator and energy saver; quick to build; environmentally friendly; aesthetically acrobatic; mechanical and working properties; safe, light, sturdy and durable; water resistant; healthy and natural; acoustically sound; and no rust. In conclusion, wood is good”. David Daniel in Freshome’s Very Best. The book evaluates prefabricated structural timber housing. It presents case study buildings built with structural timber materials. From the design perspective, the book describes the buildings and presents its findings on space standards used for construction. From a building construction and structure point of view, the book presents materials and construction methods used for the buildings. It explains the structural integrity of the buildings. Since the buildings are built with timber, the book presents environmental sustainability of each building to understand carbon footprint of the buildings. Finally, it provides similarities and differences between the buildings to understand lessons and importance of sustainable timber buildings that have capacity to capture carbon over their lifetime with low or no environmental impacts.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This paper focuses on the analysis of a longitudinal five-year study following the retrofitting and post-occupancy evaluation of a heritage townhouse designed for multi-generation living in Margate. The three-generation family of five... more
This paper focuses on the analysis of a longitudinal five-year study following the retrofitting and post-occupancy evaluation of a heritage townhouse designed for multi-generation living in Margate. The three-generation family of five adults and one child are renting the council-owned 420m2. The POE confirmed 100% satisfaction and thermal comfort during both winter and summer. The results from the extensive monitoring confirmed the acceptable thermal environment during the free-running mode in the summer, when for a significant amount of time parts of the property were below the Cat II category. The thermal environment in winter was very stable varying from 19.9°C in the basement, to 23.2°C in the third floor living room, while in the non-refurbished property across the square, which was used for comparison, mean temperature was 15°C. The average 5K temperature difference between the two properties highlight the success of the refurbishment, which was sympathetic to the original character of the house, respecting the heritage features
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Geography, Biometeorology, Medicine, GE, Atmospheric sciences, and 3 morePhoenix, Thermal comfort, and Arid
Research Interests:
The naturally ventilated, three storey School of Arts Jarman Building provides two dance studios, an exhibition gallery, teaching rooms, video editing suites and offices. The main dance studio is double-height, has underfloor heating and... more
The naturally ventilated, three storey School of Arts Jarman Building provides two dance studios, an exhibition gallery, teaching rooms, video editing suites and offices. The main dance studio is double-height, has underfloor heating and accommodates sixty people. Fresh air enters from low level perimeter louvres and exits at high level through a stack that rises through the third storey to a stack terminal with motorized louvres. Tracer gas (CO2) measurements were used to measure the ventilation rate in conjunction with hot-wire anemometry in the stack tower. The results showed that when all air inlet and exit louvres were set to closed, the residual air flow up the stack was 0.33m3/s representing a potential heat loss of 9kW in winter at 0°C outside. When the louvres were all open, the air flow increased to between 0.49 and 0.62m3/s, a level consistent with the studio’s design occupancy. It was found that the studio’s 4m high perimeter curtains represent a barrier to fresh air ent...
Research Interests:
This paper focuses on the investigation of thermal comfort conditions in three very different operational contexts using meta-analysis of different studies within a similar climatic context in the UK. This includes extensive surveys... more
This paper focuses on the investigation of thermal comfort conditions in three very different operational contexts using meta-analysis of different studies within a similar climatic context in the UK. This includes extensive surveys indoors from offices, outdoors from urban areas, as well as indoors from airport terminals. Recent research in airport terminal buildings has highlighted that there are very different user groups, with diverse requirements for thermal comfort in such facilities. The paper investigates the hypothesis that staff working in the different areas have needs more similar to those of staff working in offices, while passengers use the building as a transition area with very different requirements and hence closer to the outdoor environment. Analysing and comparing the thermal comfort conditions from the different contexts, it explores the role of adaptation for thermal comfort attainment and satisfaction with the environment and the similarities of very different...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This paper focuses on the analysis of a longitudinal five-year study following the retrofitting and post-occupancy evaluation of a heritage townhouse designed for multi-generation living in Margate. The three-generation family of five... more
This paper focuses on the analysis of a longitudinal five-year study following the retrofitting and post-occupancy evaluation of a heritage townhouse designed for multi-generation living in Margate. The three-generation family of five adults and one child are renting the council-owned 420m2. The POE confirmed 100% satisfaction and thermal comfort during both winter and summer. The results from the extensive monitoring confirmed the acceptable thermal environment during the free-running mode in the summer, when for a significant amount of time parts of the property were below the Cat II category. The thermal environment in winter was very stable varying from 19.9°C in the basement, to 23.2°C in the third floor living room, while in the non-refurbished property across the square, which was used for comparison, mean temperature was 15°C. The average 5K temperature difference between the two properties highlight the success of the refurbishment, which was sympathetic to the original cha...
Research Interests:
This chapter addresses urban comfort beyond thermal physiology. Demonstrating the influence of microclimatic and thermal comfort conditions, an inherent characteristic of the space, on use and activities in urban areas, the work aims to... more
This chapter addresses urban comfort beyond thermal physiology. Demonstrating the influence of microclimatic and thermal comfort conditions, an inherent characteristic of the space, on use and activities in urban areas, the work aims to provide a more comprehensive framework for urban designers and planners. Looking at field surveys across the world, it focuses on understanding outdoor thermal comfort and how our adaptive capacity is enhanced through a range of adaptive mechanisms, from conscious actions to a range of parameters in the contextual framework of psychological adaptation, temporality and cultural norms. The work highlights the need for adaptive capacity and thermal resilience at the individual level, as well as spatial scale, supporting environmental diversity. In a warming climate and amidst a global health pandemic, outdoor comfort becomes an important commodity, where the design of open spaces has the potential to play a critical role not only in climate regulation and energy, but also in health, liveability and social cohesion
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Urban geometry, namely the quantitative relationship of building volumes and open spaces (i.e. built density) and their spatial configuration (i.e. urban layout), is a major modifier of urban microclimate. This paper presents the results... more
Urban geometry, namely the quantitative relationship of building volumes and open spaces (i.e. built density) and their spatial configuration (i.e. urban layout), is a major modifier of urban microclimate. This paper presents the results of an ongoing research which explores the impact of urban geometry on the radiant environment in outdoor spaces, with direct implications for urban microclimate and outdoor thermal comfort. In particular, the research investigates the relationship between a set of urban geometric indicators (such as Built Density, Site Coverage, Mean building Height and Frontal Area Density) and Mean Radiant Temperature (Tmrt) at the pedestrian level, in different areas of London. Three representative areas of London were selected to be studied; in central, west and north London which are of high, medium and low built density, respectively. Each area was divided into squares of 500m x 500m size, with a total of 84 urban squares included in the study. The methodology...
Research Interests:
The settlement of Dana in Jordan is undergoing dramatic and rapid changes. The rehabilitation project launched by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) provided new tourist accommodation within the settlement, in a way... more
The settlement of Dana in Jordan is undergoing dramatic and rapid changes. The rehabilitation project launched by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) provided new tourist accommodation within the settlement, in a way that preserves its unique vernacular character. This has involved the repair and transformation of existing dwellings as well as the rebuilding of those that have been demolished. Currently, the original and rebuilt buildings stand side by side, offering a unique opportunity to compare their thermal performance. This comparison is essential to understand the impact of new construction materials and opening sizes on the thermal performance of vernacular buildings. For this purpose, the thermal performance of rebuilt and original buildings was monitored in August 2019 and February 2020, representing the hot and cold seasons. The recorded data was interpreted statistically, aiming mainly to compare the results from the original rooms with those from the...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Paying particular attention to the relationship between the inhabitants and the physical performance of the environment they occupy and the factors shaping that relationship is believed to be fundamental when conducting building... more
Paying particular attention to the relationship between the inhabitants and the physical performance of the environment they occupy and the factors shaping that relationship is believed to be fundamental when conducting building performance researches. This paper follows that approach in examining the management and control of the indoor thermal environment within a sample of socioeconomically distinct households based in Iraqi Kurdistan (KRI). This is undertaken through a close coupling of qualitative and quantitative investigations employing a combination of in situ measurements, observations, and in-depth interviews capturing inhabitant’s behavioural control actions with respect to the performance of their dwellings. The paper tends to develop a type of tentative hypothesis which can help structuring a framework to explore what the questions of thermal comfort and environmental control mean within the residential context of KRI. The investigations reveal how occupants’ engagement...
Research Interests: Thermal comfort and Ta
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This paper presents some of the findings of the European project, RUROS, primarily concerned with the environmental and comfort conditions of open spaces in cities. The results of the microclimatic and human monitoring, in relation to the... more
This paper presents some of the findings of the European project, RUROS, primarily concerned with the environmental and comfort conditions of open spaces in cities. The results of the microclimatic and human monitoring, in relation to the thermal environment and comfort conditions in open spaces are presented. The database consists of nearly 10,000 from field surveys in 14 different case study sites, across 5 different countries in Europe. The findings confirm a strong relationship between microclimatic and comfort conditions, with air temperature and solar radiation being important determinants of comfort, although one parameter alone is not sufficient for the assessment of thermal comfort conditions. Overall comfort levels are over 75 % for all cities on a yearly basis. There is also strong evidence for adaptation taking place, both physically, with the seasonal variation in clothing and changes to the metabolic rate, as well as psychologically. Recent experience and expectations ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The paper investigates the impact of urban morphology on the thermal comfort of pedestrians as they move in the urban continuum of historic city centre neighbourhoods. Primary fieldwork carried out in two different European locations,... more
The paper investigates the impact of urban morphology on the thermal comfort of pedestrians as they move in the urban continuum of historic city centre neighbourhoods. Primary fieldwork carried out in two different European locations, investigated the differentiation in the thermal sensation of pedestrians, during their walking activity in a dense urban continuum. The new methodology, thermal walks, involved simultaneous environmental and human monitoring. A series of structured walks with participants carried out in the summer and winter, took place in parallel with measurements of climatic conditions in the different spaces of the designated route. Following the walks, a sequential analysis identifies the variations that are perceived by users between spaces with different geometrical characteristics, forming part of the urban continuum. The research provides a new analytical tool to identify the diversity of thermal sensations that could be provided by a complex urban morphology.