This research work focuses on the study of microclimate conditions of two squares of Madrid, a city with a considerable Urban Heat Island. The process includes field measurements of the surface and radiant temperatures of materials on buildings façades, pavements and urban furniture. Air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed and direction were also measured. A virtual 3D model was used for sun exposure and solar radiation simulations. The urban microclimate regulation capacity of the finishing materials and shading are numerically defined. Considering the results obtained from measurements and simulations, a procedure for open spaces’ microclimate variety classification and identification is proposed: An approach to describe the thermal level for open spaces, in order to help the urban designers and planners to provide high microclimate variety for the users to meet their difference thermal demand. This is a key element to identify environmental quality and to obtain thermal comfort.

Since 2000, urban regeneration programmes in Spain have progressively involved greater integration and complexity. As a result, the management of the regeneration process has taken on greater significance. One of the determining factors has been rehabilitation companies. The paper examines the impact of their characteristics on the implementation of the programmes. A comparison of the 22 companies in operation in the Basque Country of Spain shows that more integrated approaches are considerably greater in those municipalities in which the companies are operating. Supra-municipal organizations are more effective than municipal ones in small-scale poly-nuclear urban systems such as the Basque Country.

This research work focuses on the study of microclimate conditions of two squares of Madrid, a city with a considerable Urban Heat Island. The process includes field measurements of the surface and radiant temperatures of materials on buildings façades, pavements and urban furniture. Air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed and direction were also measured. A virtual 3D model was used for sun exposure and solar radiation simulations. The urban microclimate regulation capacity of the finishing materials and shading are numerically defined. Considering the results obtained from measurements and simulations, a procedure for open spaces’ microclimate variety classification and identification is proposed: An approach to describe the thermal level for open spaces, in order to help the urban designers and planners to provide high microclimate variety for the users to meet their difference thermal demand. This is a key element to identify environmental quality and to obtain thermal comfort.

Este trabajo de investigación se centra en el estudio teórico y experimental del microclima urbano de la plaza Chamberí de Madrid, ciudad con una marcada Isla de Calor. Para ello, se realizaron mediciones in-situ de temperatura superficial de materiales en fachadas, pavimentos y mobiliario urbano, de temperatura seca, humedad relativa del aire y de velocidad y dirección del viento en condiciones de soleamiento y sombreamiento. Se levantó el entorno, la vegetación, arbolado y materiales de acabado en 3D para desarrollar simulaciones de soleamiento y radiación solar. Paralelamente, se registró el uso que las personas hacían del espacio urbano. Finalmente se compararon los resultados con un estudio bioclimático tradicional que serviría para definir el confort. Se concluyó que las herramientas bioclimáticas son efectivas para el diseño de espacios confortables térmicamente, siempre y cuando se creen microclimas alternativos que den opción de adaptarse al entorno. Las mediciones de campo revelan la importancia de las propiedades térmicas de los materiales y la necesidad de realizar estudios de soleamiento para la selección y localización de materiales con diversas propiedades higrotérmicas y el correcto empleo de suelos naturales, vegetación y agua. Se observa que las estrategias teóricas para alcanzar el confort definidas mediante las herramientas tradicionales, en numerosasocasiones, no coincide con el uso real del espacio público. Además, se detectaron notables diferencias entre los datos climáticos históricos, los de la estación meteorológica estatal más cercana y las mediciones locales. Se detecta numéricamente el efecto de Isla de Calor Urbana en la plaza, respecto al parque del Retiro.

This article presents the results of the energy performance improvement due to the use of an earth to air heat exchanger of an office building located in Extremadura (Spain). The climate in this region is Continental Mediterranean, with mild winters and very hot summers. The first soil temperature data measures allowed the validation of the simulation software. Heating and cooling building loads were evaluated with and without earth to air heat exchanger. Also, a combination of these models, a third one, was evaluated. The energy savings of the system in each case were measured.

This article seeks to advance understanding of urban space that enables the emergence of “life between buildings,” that is, urban environments capable of acting as appropriate settings for caring for the communities that inhabit them.To this end, the study focuses on the analysis of in-between spaces, understood as the spatial realm located between the private sphere of the dwelling and the public sphere of the city, encompassing both physical and social dimensions. This article specifically aims to deepen the quantitative understanding of the social dimension. Accordingly, the goal is to develop an objective model capable of identifying the degree of in-between character present in urban space.The proposed model consists of two steps that enable the identification of in-between spaces. The first step comprises an activity-mapping methodology aimed at identifying the social and use-related characteristics that define in-between spaces. The second part consists of a set of indicators that allow the in-between character of a space to be determined based on the data collected through the mapping process.This tool enables the assessment of in-between character within urban space. Measuring the level of in-between character of a given space is useful for identifying the types of settings in which relationships that enrich community life are generated. Understanding the contexts in which these interactions occur facilitates the definition of spatial planning strategies capable of generating appropriate gradients in the physical environment, as well as the improvement of existing residential developments through a more suitable provision of public space.