Synergistic Effects of Bioclimatic Strategies on Microclimate Improvement: A Numerical–Experimental Study at University Campus Scale

Daniel Austin, Thasnee Solano and Miguel Chen Austin ()
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Daniel Austin: Research Group Energy and Comfort in Bioclimatic Buildings (ECEB), Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá, Panama City 0819-07289, Panama
Thasnee Solano: Research Group Energy and Comfort in Bioclimatic Buildings (ECEB), Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá, Panama City 0819-07289, Panama
Miguel Chen Austin: Research Group Energy and Comfort in Bioclimatic Buildings (ECEB), Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá, Panama City 0819-07289, Panama

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-41

Abstract: Outdoor thermal comfort in tropical cities is increasingly threatened by rapid urbanization, high humidity, and insufficient climate-sensitive planning. Despite numerous studies on urban heat mitigation, there is a lack of empirical and numerical research that evaluates the synergistic application of bioclimatic strategies under humid tropical conditions. This paper addresses this gap by analyzing the combined effect of arborization, dry mist systems, water bodies, and sprinklers on outdoor thermal comfort at the Víctor Levi Sasso Campus of the Technological University of Panama. We hypothesized that synergistic application of these strategies provides greater thermal comfort improvements than isolated interventions. The central research question guiding this study was: To what extent can combined bioclimatic strategies enhance outdoor thermal comfort compared to individual strategies in humid tropical environments? To answer this, a hybrid methodology was employed, integrating ENVI-met dynamic simulations with in situ measurements and thermal comfort surveys based on the physiological equivalent temperature (PET) index and subjective comfort scales. The results demonstrate that combined strategies achieve superior reductions in mean radiant and surface temperatures while improving subjective comfort perceptions, highlighting their potential for context-sensitive urban design in tropical regions.

Keywords: bioclimatic strategies; dynamic simulation; ENVI-met; in situ; measurements; microclimate modeling; outdoor thermal comfort; physiological equivalent temperature (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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