An Investigation into Thermal Convenience and the Impact of Building Height on Urban Microclimate: a Case Study of Shahrdari Street, Tehran,Iran

Due to the importance that application of natural factors has in the recent architecture and urban planning and the need for ecological sustainability between the nature and human structures, the use of natural and environmental factors is one of the fundamentals of sustainability in urban planning. This study investigates the influence of microclimate factors on thermal and environmental convenience in urban spaces and their relationship with building heights as the partitions affecting the microclimates. As a problem the research seeks to find what actions can be taken to reach thermal convenience in urban environments, as well as,the possibility that these actions can systematically be applied for a thermal and environmental arrangement in urban spaces. In this paper, as a case study, critical areas in terms of thermal and environmental convenience in Shahrdari Street have been detected by exploring their existing state and an analysis of thermal convenience using Ecotect Software based on Tehran climatic statistics. These areas were mainly the height of partitions. Thus, the surfaces ever in shaded areas and those always exposed to solar radiation have been determined. To develop environmental convenience in the areas, sunfacing and shaded parts in needed areas have been produced by means of changes in the height of some buildings. It is believed that in ever-shaded areas with a decrease in the height or creation of some space openings and in the areas ever -exposed to sunshine with an increase in height and creation of some shades it is possible to develop thermal convenience in the areas. Finally, the produced thermal conditions were assessed in the suggested design including the performed changes and by re-analysis in the area using Ecotect. It is necessary to mention that development of an urban space with thermal and environmental convenience has a direct influence on the energy exchange between the environment and the building and play an important role in thrifty use of energy and in sustainable urban planning.