Analysis of the Impact of Urban Building Blocks Orientation on Outdoor Thermal Comfort in Winter Cities Using ENVI-met

Abstract

The increase in urbanization, building density in cities, and the excess of hard surfaces exacerbate the urban heat island effect, negatively impacting outdoor thermal comfort. It is anticipated that not only the abundance of structures but also the orientation of building blocks in space affects thermal comfort. In this study, four different orientation scenarios “0°, 45°, 90°, 135°” were analyzed using the ENVI-met 5.6.1 software model. The newly developed settlement area Yıldızkent, located in the development axis of the city center of Erzurum, was chosen as the study area. The study concluded that the street orientation at a 45° angle was the most suitable scenario in terms of thermal comfort for both winter and summer months. In this scenario analysis, a 1.0°C PET improvement for winter months was determined, positively affecting thermal comfort. It was determined that the orientation of building blocks has an impact on thermal comfort.