- How Sensitive We Build to Climate? Design for Comfortable Urban Environment    1482 kb by    Kaya, Nursen & Mengi, Onur | o.mengi@gmail.com    Short Outline This research intends to gain insights into the relationship between spatial characteristics of the built environment and the perceived climate on the site. Abstract Comfortable urban environment closely relates with the sensitivity of the design of the built environment to the urban micro-climate. Many of our earlier design attempts underestimated the climatic knowledge as providing the standard design criteria and principles for all localities, and this ultimately triggered the emergence of uncomfortable indoor and outdoor environments. However, there has been a considerable effort for a decade to overcome this deficit. Climatic studies and new design approaches have been seen integral to urban design and planning practices to achieve comfortable urban living. Climate sensitive urban design, being one of those approaches to consider the local characteristics and needs, is a useful tool to provide more sustainable solutions for the future developments. This case study looks into how the spatial structure of Konak Square in Izmir (Turkey) influences the comfort perception of the people in the summer season. This research intends to gain insights into the relationship between spatial characteristics of the built environment and the perceived climate on the site. In this regard, initially, physical characteristics of the site including location, general climatic conditions, surrounding urban texture, pavement and façade materials, shadow pattern have been investigated. Secondly, to analyze the people’s perception regarding their thermal state on Konak Square a questionnaire has been performed throughout day and evening periods of a typical summer day. The analysis of user comfort perception and expectations have been realized according to the questionnaires carried out at the certain locations. The findings have been processed through the comparison and evaluation of the people comfort perception in relation to the spatial structure of the site. Based on the research findings specific design guidelines and an alternative design proposal are developed to enhance the urban comfort in Konak Square. This enhancement is expected to have not only a positive effect on outdoor but also on indoor space comfort in the surroundings of Konak Square. Keywords Climatic Design, Climate Sensitive Design Principles, Comfortable Urban Living, Urban Climate Case Study presented on the ISOCARP Congress 2011: LIVEABLE CITIES: URBANISING WORLD, Meeting the Challenge   Click to open the full paper as pdf document   Click to send an email to the author(s) of this paper