The guidelines of many international organizations (such as the European Commission) and contemporary scientific studies have called attention to the importance of city-scale planning with regard to energy-saving and environmental responsibility. The urban shape, as attested by the history of town planning, collaborates in reaching these goals: Scholars have shown how settlement morphology is related to environmental comfort and the city’s energy urban balance via important ‘physical’ relationships (H/W ratio). In this way, architects and planners have improved both environmental behaviour and urban quality of living standards via typo-morphological solutions and the use of environmental data from the beginning of the urban design process. In order to verify this theoretical approach, a case study from China has been used herein as a starting point. One of several projects for an academic course involving the development of a new train station area of Zhaoqing (P.R.C.) has been analysed and then modified through a three-step process. This modification has focused on the relationship between the original morphology and the corresponding urban microclimate, altering initial spatial and typological configurations to improve environmental performance. The outcomes, shown via the software used, have confirmed the prominent role of good urban form in enhancing comfort standards and reducing energy needs of settlements. In addition, as many international organizations have advised, urban design must be considered a useful tool in planning the ‘sustainable’ city of the future, overthrowing the energy-related ‘hidden costs’ of bad design which can affect environmental and energy performance of buildings after their construction.
Zhaoqing: A Study-Case of Energy-Saving Urban Design
CHIRI, GIOVANNI MARCO;GIOVAGNORIO, ILARIA
2012-01-01
Abstract
The guidelines of many international organizations (such as the European Commission) and contemporary scientific studies have called attention to the importance of city-scale planning with regard to energy-saving and environmental responsibility. The urban shape, as attested by the history of town planning, collaborates in reaching these goals: Scholars have shown how settlement morphology is related to environmental comfort and the city’s energy urban balance via important ‘physical’ relationships (H/W ratio). In this way, architects and planners have improved both environmental behaviour and urban quality of living standards via typo-morphological solutions and the use of environmental data from the beginning of the urban design process. In order to verify this theoretical approach, a case study from China has been used herein as a starting point. One of several projects for an academic course involving the development of a new train station area of Zhaoqing (P.R.C.) has been analysed and then modified through a three-step process. This modification has focused on the relationship between the original morphology and the corresponding urban microclimate, altering initial spatial and typological configurations to improve environmental performance. The outcomes, shown via the software used, have confirmed the prominent role of good urban form in enhancing comfort standards and reducing energy needs of settlements. In addition, as many international organizations have advised, urban design must be considered a useful tool in planning the ‘sustainable’ city of the future, overthrowing the energy-related ‘hidden costs’ of bad design which can affect environmental and energy performance of buildings after their construction.
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