Correlation of Microclimate

environment with the

Productivity of Users

Microclimate Productivity of Users

Microclimate & local climate Physical well-being, mental
Definition, Factors health, user-oriented design

Climate Responsive Human comfort and

LEED Certification
Architecture well-being

MICROCLIMATE:
The terminology "micro-climate" first appeared in the 1950s in publications such as Climates in Miniature: A Study of Micro-Climate
Environment (Thomas Bedford Franklin, 1955).
Microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. Microclimate is the suite of climatic
conditions measured in localized areas near the earth's surface (Geiger 1965).
These environmental variables, which include temperature, light, windspeed, and moisture, have been critical throughout human history,
providing meaningful indicators for habitat selection and other activities. (Chen, Saunders and Crow)
FACTORS AFFECTING MICROCLIMATE:

Surface Reflection Surface Water Soil Composition Geological Formation Vegetation Prevailing Wings

CLIMATE MEASUREMENTS:
Outdoor climate data - a real measured year (otherwise: Test Reference Years Indoor climate
(TRY)) • Light – Daylight – Artificial light – fixture
• temperature (outside dry bulb) • Heat
• temperature (outside dew-point temperature) • Humidity – ambient and in materials
• wind speed and direction • Ventilation
• atmospheric pressure • Acoustics – reverberation – reduction
• direct normal solar radiation
• diffuse horizontal solar radiation
CLIMATE CHANGE IN KARACHI CITY CONTEXT (SOURCE: Karachi city climate change adaption strategy by Farhan Answer)
1. URBAN FLOODING- accumulation of floodwaters when storm water intake exceeds the ability of a drainage system to absorb water into soil causing
urban flooding. The drainage pattern of a natural landscape gets disrupts when it is modified by urban development.
2. DROUGHT- region receives less rain, reduced soil moisture, agriculture damage, water scarcity results in lack of appropriate precipitation
3. EXTREME HEAT EVENTS- weather hotter than usual for a given time and location, and even more humid.
4. SEA LEVEL RISE – impacts of global warming causing increase in sea level, burning fossil fuels releases CO2 other heat trapping gases into
atmosphere, which contributes to global warming. Majority absorbed by oceans and water bodies, which then expands as it becomes warmer, rises the
global ocean levels.
Climate Responsive Architecture is an architectural design method that focuses on producing a comfortable space without the use of
artificial energy.
10 STEPS TO CLIMATE RESPONSIVE ARCHITECTURE:
Climate responsive architecture takes into consideration: seasonality, the direction of the sun (sun path and solar position), natural shade
provided by the surrounding topography, environmental factors (such as wind, rain fall, humidity) and climate data (temperature, historical
weather patterns, etc.) to design comfortable and energy efficient homes. In a nutshell, architects will need to consider the following
before ever starting the design and architecture of a building:
• Perform a site analysis.
• Determine the weather patterns, climate, soil types, wind speed and direction, heating degree days and path of the sun.
• Look at the water flows, habitat, and geology of the site.
• Document each with a qualified team of professionals to understand the ramifications of building in that specific place.
Layout the building on the site. Using an integrative design process, use a basic massing of the building layout to determine specifically
on site the most optimal location for the building to be situated. Factors to consider here are access to infrastructure, staying at least 100
feet clear of any watershed, not building within a floodplain and/or in a habitat with endangered species. Asking what trees and other
existing geological features should be avoided or how water flows across the site can dictate the location of the building.
It’s all about the sun — orient the building based upon cardinal directions. The goal here is to maximize the amount of sun that heats the
space in the winter (hence using less energy to mechanically heat) and decrease the amount of sun that cooks the building in the summer
(hence using less energy to mechanically cool). Select the appropriate window areas and glazing types based on orientation. South facing
facades should utilize a window area appropriate to its orientation and glazing should utilize a double or triple paned glass with a low-e
coating to minimize the amount of heat transmitted into the space in the hottest months, while keeping heat inside during the cooler winter
months. For example, a south facing glass window wall will cook the occupants inside during the hot summer months if care is not taken
to provide shade on the façade.
(Eslamian, Saeid & Zareei, Sayed & Ostad-Ali-Askari, Kaveh. (2018). Sustainable and Climate Responsive Architecture.)

LITERATURE REVIEW MATRIX

BOOK/
AUTHOR PUBLISHED
TITLE RESEARCH/ KEY FINDING ANALYSIS WAY FORWARDS
NAME YEAR
ARTICLE
Climate
Explains macro and microclimate, design
responsive Describes the principles of
problems, ecological sustainable designs, life
design: a study of sustainable guidelines, elaborates Passive design strategies can be incorporated into
Richard cycle assessment, environmental framework,
2005 buildings in BOOK climatic effects on buildings through buildings to promote healthy and efficient
Hyde design approach, design performance
moderate and hot case studies in response to different designs.
measures, and the design based on structural
humid climate regions of the world.
systems and patterns

Describes microclimate and local

climate, history, microclimate
Roger G. This gives the full range of natural and built
elements, its observation method, and
Barry, Microclimate and environment. While physical principles remain Natural and built environment can be
2016 BOOK instruments and how it will vary in
Peter D. Local Climate same, the diverse environment have different incorporated to address climate responsive
different environment, and analyzes
Blanken approaches in applications. architecture.
effects of climate change on
microclimate
Emphasizes that thermally
To minimize human-induced changes to the
comfortable microclimate is the
Design With climate and reduce our dependence on fossil
foundation of well-designed and His guidelines lead designers clearly through the
Microclimate: fuels-as some areas become warmer, some
Robert D. well-used outdoor places. complexity of climate data, precedents, site
2010 The Secret to BOOK cooler, some wetter, and some drier, and all
Brown He strikes an ideal balance of assessment, microclimate modification,
Comfortable become more expensive to regulate - good
technical information, anecdotes, communication, design, and evaluation.
Outdoor Space microclimate design will become increasingly
examples, and illustrations to keep
important.
the book engaging and accessible.
Gives the broad idea about indoor and outdoor
Environment and Describes the environment This will help in finding appropriate ways to
Robert B. air quality, pollution, land, air, water, etc and
1997 Behavior: An BOOK psychology, human influence on the design while keeping all the mentioned aspects
Bechtel working environment from children to adult to
Introduction environment, ecological psychology in check.
industries etc.
LEED certified buildings reduce
stress on the environment. They are
more energy and resource efficient. Green buildings support a healthier indoor
LEED Practices,
They generate less waste and lower space. Benchmarks such as thermal comfort,
Certification, and LEED provides a framework for healthy, highly
Sam Kubba 2010 BOOK the use of energy, water, and other indoor air quality, and interior lighting support
Accreditation efficient, and cost-saving green buildings.
resources. Points can be earned for the comfort and health of building occupants.
Handbook
storage and collection of recyclables,
renewable energy use, and indoor
water use reduction.
 People differ in their clothing and
metabolism, and in the requirements
of the work they do at any given time.
This means that there will always be
differences of opinion as to whether it It provides a critical, multidisciplinary review

Edited by Creating the is too hot or too cold. The ASHRAE of the evidence behind this phenomenon, and The effectiveness of the workplace and building
Derek Productive Handbook of Fundamentals (1997) set out the important factors and offer quality, thermal comfort, and the solutions to
2006 BOOK
Clements- Workplace suggests that an acceptable solutions to providing a working environment increase productivity can be incorporated in the
Croome percentage comfort would be 80% that increases productivity. design.
but does not attempt to predict the
degree of individual control that
would be necessary to ensure that a
higher percentage could achieve
thermal comfort.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

LEED can be adapted to many different areas while maintaining a common conceptual framework; this allows the existence of numerous protocols LEED able to
provide similar quality assessment in different areas. As for the LEED evaluation of buildings, it is divided in 5 main areas: energy and environment, indoor
quality environment, innovation, water treatment and sustainability of the site, materials and used resources.

AUTHOR PUBLISHED STATEMENT CREDIT LIBRARY ANALYSIS WAY FORWARDS

NAME

LEED November 2013 LEED borders with Integrate process Integrative processes help building achieve high levels of building Provision of framework for healthy, highly
respect to Karachi performance, human comfort, and environmental benefits efficient, and cost saving green buildings
climate explorations

Open space (social The provision of healthier space which promotes efficiency in
interaction) working environment

LEED vegetation The vegetation can reduce heat island effect surrounding the area

Site assessment From this approach we can have better incorporation of sun angles,
solar exposure, and wind

Passive Designs The incorporation of passive design strategies in designs

Daylight and Quality Day lighting helps to gain natural light into the building to
views performance better w.r.t. space functionalities

Building life cycle impact The building’s overall life cycle impact on its workability and
reduction execution

Reduced parking The design should complement the building w.r.t. its functions
footprint

Access to quality transit With this we can manage the buildings more efficiently by providing
transit services

Light pollution reduction With this we can reduce our energy consumptions and hence the
urban heat island effect also reduces.
 ARCHITECTS THAT RESPONDED WITH THE CLIMATE CHANGE
ARCHITECTS
1. Charles Correa
One of the pioneers of sustainable architecture, Charles Correa designed
structures that could function independently of active sources of energy. Ahead
of his times and visionary par excellence, he envisaged structures that would
inherent passive building techniques and created them flawlessly. He never built
glass buildings and focused on creating open to sky spaces in his layouts that
would bridge the gap between the built and environment. Giving an
environmentalist twist to the phrase “forms follows function”, he derived a new
term “forms follows climate” emphasizing the fact that the form or profile of the
structure is imperative of the climatic conditions surrounding it.
2. Laurie Baker
British-born architect Laurie Baker dedicated more than half of his life
constructing sustainable buildings in India. He not only created houses,
institutional buildings, and hospitals using passive techniques but even
incorporated low-cost construction methods and materials. He showcased brick
jalis in his design along with exposed brickwork, rat-trap masonry, filler slabs,
and vastly used local building materials for construction. Staying true to
vernacular theories, he built his buildings affordably and with passive measures.
3. Norman Foster
Norman Foster, a British architect and the founder of Foster + Partners,
recognized the need for creating structures that would respond well to the
indisputable worry of climate change. Addressing the fact that buildings
consume more than half of the energy generated in the world, and cause half of
the world’s carbon emission, the teamwork around designing structures that
would cater well to this social dilemma.
RESPOND TO CLIMATE CHANGE / WORKS
Some of his sustainable masterpieces include the tube house, Kanchanjunga
Apartments, and the National Crafts Museum.
For the Kanchanjunga Apartments, he adapted the principles of vernacular
architecture of old Indian bungalows like verandas and used modern materials
like reinforced concrete along with cantilevered terrace gardens. Charles Correa
also introduced a new construction technique called the “slip method” enabled to
construct a central core, consisting of lifts, would become the main structural
method for resisting lateral loads.
His notable work includes the Indian Coffee House, Centre for Development
Studies and the Laurie Baker Centre.
Almost all of Laurie Baker’s structures inculcate these unique, easy and
sustainable methods in his construction methodologies.
An avid believer in sustainability, he announced a zero carbon and zero waste
city- Masdar, in Abu Dhabi. A first of its kind, he vouched that Masdar would set
new benchmarks for the sustainable cities of the future. Based on the traditional
planning techniques of a “walled city” and combining them with present-day
climate-responsive techniques, the city was created. A high density and mixed-
used city would be car-free with a maximum distance of 200-meters to the closest
transport spot and amenities which would lead to zero-carbon emission. Since
Abu Dhabi has extreme climatic conditions, shaded walkways and narrow streets
will create a pedestrian-friendly environment. Surroundings contain wind,
photovoltaic farms, and plantations to make the city self-sustaining.