Microclimatic Landscape Design

Book excerpt: Creating Thermal Comfort and Energy Efficiency Microclimatic Landscape Design shows designers how to work withnature to create climatically pleasant spaces for human activities.With remarkable clarity, it covers both the scientific backgroundand the design techniques needed for shaping spaces that increasecomfort and reduce energy consumption. This comprehensive,environmentally-sensitive guide: Presents the basic principles of microclimatology and explainshow objects in the landscape affect climate to createmicroclimates Describes methods for modifying the key variables in amicroclimate, including radiation, wind, temperature, humidity, andprecipitation Shows how to create successful, comfortable spaces under a widevariety of climatic conditions Explains energy budgets and the effects of landscape on energyuse in buildings Includes useful formulas for determining human thermal comfort,estimating solar radiation absorbed by a person, and estimatingwind in a given landscape For landscape architects, architects, contractors, and planners,Microclimatic Landscape Design is a concise, practical, andindispensable guide to improving the comfort of outdoor spaces andreducing the heating or cooling loads on buildings.