Microclimatic Landscape Design: Creating Thermal Comfort and Energy Efficiency [Paperback]

Robert D. Brown (Author), Terry J. Gillespie (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471056677 | ISBN-13: 978-0471056676 | Publication Date: August 1995 | Edition: 1

Creating Thermal Comfort and Energy Efficiency

Microclimatic Landscape Design shows designers how to work with nature to create climatically pleasant spaces for human activities. With remarkable clarity, it covers both the scientific background and the design techniques needed for shaping spaces that increase comfort and reduce energy consumption. This comprehensive, environmentally-sensitive guide:
* Presents the basic principles of microclimatology and explains how objects in the landscape affect climate to create microclimates
* Describes methods for modifying the key variables in a microclimate, including radiation, wind, temperature, humidity, and precipitation
* Shows how to create successful, comfortable spaces under a wide variety of climatic conditions
* Explains energy budgets and the effects of landscape on energy use in buildings
* Includes useful formulas for determining human thermal comfort, estimating solar radiation absorbed by a person, and estimating wind in a given landscape


For landscape architects, architects, contractors, and planners, Microclimatic Landscape Design is a concise, practical, and indispensable guide to improving the comfort of outdoor spaces and reducing the heating or cooling loads on buildings.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This indispensable text describes how microclimates are formed and provides design techniques for modifying microclimates to create more comfortable environments outdoors and to increase energy efficiency indoors. Focuses on planning and design for modifying the key variables of microclimates, including wind, radiation, temperature, humidity and precipitation.

From the Back Cover

Creating Thermal Comfort and Energy Efficiency

Microclimatic Landscape Design shows designers how to work with nature to create climatically pleasant spaces for human activities. With remarkable clarity, it covers both the scientific background and the design techniques needed for shaping spaces that increase comfort and reduce energy consumption. This comprehensive, environmentally-sensitive guide:

• Presents the basic principles of microclimatology and explains how objects in the landscape affect climate to create microclimates
• Describes methods for modifying the key variables in a microclimate, including radiation, wind, temperature, humidity, and precipitation
• Shows how to create successful, comfortable spaces under a wide variety of climatic conditions
• Explains energy budgets and the effects of landscape on energy use in buildings
• Includes useful formulas for determining human thermal comfort, estimating solar radiation absorbed by a person, and estimating wind in a given landscape

For landscape architects, architects, contractors, and planners, Microclimatic Landscape Design is a concise, practical, and indispensable guide to improving the comfort of outdoor spaces and reducing the heating or cooling loads on buildings.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (August 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471056677
• ISBN-13: 978-0471056676
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #975,848 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple, straightforward site design reference, April 21, 2008

By 

BanditoJose (Warwick, RI) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Microclimatic Landscape Design: Creating Thermal Comfort and Energy Efficiency (Paperback)

This book has a very simple to understand approach to teaching about site design. Although it is a textbook layout...it is a quick read, with lots of images and diagrams and great breakups of points within the chapters...just an absolutely enjoyable format with lots of interesting information. I would recommend this book for anyone who is even considering any kind of landscaping...whether it's on their own home, or on a large construction site.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent book trying to cater to multiple audiences, March 3, 2008

By 

Nicholas Rohan (Tomales, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Microclimatic Landscape Design: Creating Thermal Comfort and Energy Efficiency (Paperback)

This book was an interesting read. However, I felt like the authors were torn between speaking to a scientific or a more general audience. I believe the book was written for a general audience but there were some algebraic equations in some chapters which I thought might lose some people. I personally was looking for a more scientific book on the subject and so was a little dissapointed by the water-down and sometimes repetative language.