Thermal Performance Investigation in Historical Urban Neighborhoods Using ENVI-Met Simulation Software

Urban heritage areas are characterized by unique architectural and cultural elements, often coupled with specific challenges such as vulnerability to climate change and urban heat islands (UHIs). Investigating thermal performance at the neighborhood scale is crucial for preserving these areas while enhancing thermal comfort and sustainability. The aim of this research is to prove that the application of passive cooling techniques and urban green spaces can reduce the urban temperature and upgrade the conditions of thermal comfort, even in densely populated areas with small urban void spaces. ENVI-Met, a microclimate modeling software for evaluating the thermal performance of heritage urban neighborhoods, is applied in order to assess current thermal conditions, identify hotspots, perform simulations, and propose mitigation strategies to improve thermal comfort while preserving the architectural and cultural integrity of these areas. The test bed of this study is a historical urban area in central Athens, “Academia Platonos”. The methodology is mainly based on the design of different parametric scenarios for the study area, by integrating specific parameters that characterize the area of Academia Platonos (elevation distribution, materials, vegetation, etc.) and the microclimatic simulations of the area, designed in the digital environment of ENVI-Met. Five scenarios are implemented and studied in the study area, four of which are based on the existing situation of the study area, either by changing the construction materials of the built environment (passive cooling through cool material techniques) or by enhancing the area with vegetation. One of the most important findings of this study is that the use of plants with a high foliage density is more effective in reducing air temperature than the selection of species with sparse foliage.