Air movement representation as a tool for urban and architectural environmental quality

Abstract

Air movement is a measurable physical phenomenon that produces indirectly measurable effects on people and on the environment. It is an essential prerequisite for the comfort and the hygiene of the built environment and it is highly relevant to the passive cooling strategies. The relationships between air movement and built environment have to be analysed under a multi-scale vision. They fall within the field of urban and architectural design because they can be influenced by artificial expedients, although they are always caused by natural factors. This paper discusses the need for a complete and objective representation of different kinds of air movement, to improve the urban and architectural design and to integrate the knowledge and the assessment of the built environment. The proposal for a graphic standard is partially described, aiming to contribute towards a codified and multi-scale representation of the air movements that can be considered as a tool for environmental quality, both in the maintenance or the conservation activities and in the transformation processes.