Visual and Thermal Comfort Optimization for Arid Urban Spaces using Parametric Techniques on the Scale of Compactness Degree
Same like buildings' indoor spaces, urban forms need an optimization between solar radiation access which affects pedestrian thermal comfort as well as daylighting for both outdoor and indoor spaces to provide visual comfort. This mutual interaction is critical especially in arid zones where the compactness and confined urban canyons are very useful passive cooling strategy and application. From this standing point, what is so called compactness degree scale, CDS (ranges from 0.1 10) for urban forms is used to identify specific urban built up density for environmental design and assessment taking place in the urban form design process. In this work, a range of 0.5 10 on CDS with aspect ratio from 1 5 have been applied to examine specific range of urban forms between compact and open urban patterns. The thermal and visual performance of both outdoor and indoor environments are investigated while varying the density of such forms in Cairo, Egypt. The many variations of the case study could have been done using parametric techniques through Grasshopper, Rhino, Diva, honeybee, and ladybug simulation tools. This study was able then to provide implications for the optimum design that fulfil acceptable levels of urban thermal and visual comforts while providing adequate indoor daylighting in arid regions.