Resiliencia microclimática del patio mediterráneoevaluación de confort térmico y ahorro energético asociados al uso de estrategias pasivas en el diseño de patios

Abstract

Rising global average temperatures, the Urban Heat Island (UHI) phenomenon and the dependence of buildings on fossil fuels are increasingly important technological challenges on the international scene. Reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predict that global air temperatures will rise between 1.4 and 5.8°C by the end of the century. Concern about the resulting thermal discomfort of people in the urban environment in this scenario, coupled with the fact that the energy consumption of buildings is related to excess CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, prompts reflection on the role of architecture in this area. One of the 17 priority goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015, included in the European 2030 framework for sustainable development, is precisely SDG 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. This objective would be truly possible thanks, among others, to the progress in research on the passive design of eco-efficient strategies in the urban environment. These studies are focused on strengthening the position of the European Union (EU) in the global scientific and technological landscape, as well as on proposing solutions to the major challenges facing European citizens in a climate change scenario. The understanding and vindication in today's architecture of transitional spaces such as the courtyard, a characteristic articulating element of our geographical and cultural environment, is unavoidable as it implies a fundamental bioclimatic strategy. In warm areas of the planet, the courtyard provides shade; in cold areas it breaks the continuity of the wind, generating microclimates; and in humid climates it favours cross ventilation with an increase in the porosity of the construction. Paradoxically, its climatic adaptability and attenuation are assumed to be obvious functional characteristics linked to its origin, but there are no quantification tools that allow us to estimate its thermal and energy performance reliably.