Training architects and planners to design with urban microclimates

The ability to design with urban microclimates depends on the architects' and planners' skills to identify significant variations of the regional climate in urban areas, develop awareness of possible future modifications produced by changes in the urban tissue and use this potential during the design process at different scales of application. Favourable urban microclimate modification or conservation of the existing climatic conditions can be achieved by appropriate climate-sensitive urban planning, and architectural projects with natural conditioning of indoor and outdoor spaces. This paper explains the objectives and methods adopted in different climate-sensitive design courses given by the authors to promote the integration of urban climate control in the planning and architectural design process, at the graduate and post-graduate level. The teaching sequence related to the design process, which is explained here, is intended to illustrate the level of information that is required by planners and architects. A summary of the course objectives, sequence and content is outlined in the appendix.