Measuring effects of building orientation and vegetation on thermal comfort by ENVI-met (Case study: Maslak area, Istanbul)

Urban design and morphology are one of the most important factors affecting outdoor thermal comfort that should be given special attention. Optimal orientation would improve the quality of the building’s thermal comfort as well as its urban area, considering the geography and climate of the area. Conversely, orientation and physical form of the buildings (particularly high-rise buildings) which are incompatible with climate could create a phenomenon called “urban heat island” and disrupt their thermal comfort. Moreover, vegetation as one of the outdoor affecting factors, through creating air movement and shading can help in enhancing the thermal comfort sensation. This paper, through a descriptive-analytical method, firstly explored the theoretical foundations around thermal comfort and the effects of morphology and vegetation on that. Secondly, a high-rise building complex located in Maslak district of Istanbul, a modern and developing region with the Mediterranean climate, was chosen as a case study. Three design alternatives, including the current design and two hypothetical design alternatives for building orientation and vegetation parameters, have been analyzed and the thermal comfort indicators, PMV and PPD have been calculated by Envi-met software. By evaluating and comparing the outputs, it can be concluded that controlling these two parameters (building orientation and vegetation) could have a positive impact on outdoor thermal comfort.

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