As presented in the previous sections, the transformation of a city is a continuous process to improve the quality of life, protect natural resources, and pursue socio-economic development. In this section, we will introduce the concept of Bioclimatic Architecture, an alternative for designing a more sustainable built environment.

According to the Ogyay brothers, the bioclimatic approach is a design that considers four complementary disciplines:

• biology, understanding the requirements for human comfort.
• climatology, considering the existing climatic conditions.
• architecture, considering the architectural features.
• technology, considering all technical resources.

Bioclimatic Architecture components (A.T. Nguyen & S. Reiter (2017), adapted from Ogyay (1963)).

In the next video, the Lecturer Letiane Benincá presents the Bioclimatic Architecture concept and the main strategies to apply it. She describes the factors and variables that influence the design of a building based on the climate and presents primary requirements for human thermal comfort. Moreover, three examples of buildings that follow bioclimatic architecture are presented, two in Europe and one in Brazil.

Main Takeaways

• Bioclimatic architecture can be described as a combination of biology, climatology, architecture and technology, inserted in a real current context.
• The main architectural strategies for achieving human thermal comfort for summer are cross-ventilation, evaporative cooling, cooling with high thermal and air conditioning. On the other hand, humidification, heating internal gains, passive solar heating and artificial heating are strategies considered for winter.
• Before starting an architectural project, it is necessary to carry out a detailed survey of the place where it will be built (e.g.: geographic position, climate conditions, existing topography, cultural aspects).