École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Toulouse

The production of solar energy in cities is clearly a way to diminish our dependency to fossil fuels, and is a good way to mitigate global warming by lowering the emission of greenhouse gases. However, what are the impacts of solar panels locally ? To evaluate their influence on urban weather, it is necessary to parameterize their effects within the surface schemes that are coupled to atmospheric models. The present paper presents a way to implement solar panels in the Town Energy Balance scheme, taking account of the energy production (for thermal and photovoltaic panels), the impact on the building below and feedback towards the urban micro-climate through radiative and convective fluxes. A scenario of large but realistic deployment of solar panels on the Paris metropolitan area is then simulated. It is shown that solar panels, by shading the roofs, slightly increases the need for domestic heating (3%). In summer however, the solar panels reduce the energy needed for air-conditioning (by 12%) and also the Urban Heat Island (UHI): 0.2K by day and up to 0.3K at night. These impacts are larger than those found in previous works, because of the use of thermal panels (that are more efficient than photovoltaic panels) and the geographical position of Paris, which is relatively far from the sea. This means that it is not influenced by sea breezes, and hence that its UHI is stronger than for a coastal city of the same size. But this also means that local adaptation strategies aiming to decrease the UHI will have more potent effects. In summary, the deployment of solar panels is good both globally, to produce renewable energy (and hence to limit the warming of the climate) and locally, to decrease the UHI, especially in summer, when it can constitute a health threat.

The evidence for the influence of urban configuration on outdoor climate conditions, on the energy balance of buildings, and on diffusion of pollutants is quite conclusive. But the exact characterization of this complex link remains critical, especially because of the extreme morphological heterogeneity at a fine granularity level: the building and its close environment. In this approach I try to cope with this difficulty, by working at the district or city scale, by assimilating the urban fabric into a porous medium with a rigid solid skeleton, and by proposing a simple spatial model based on a set of original morphological indicators of environmental performance: density, rugosity, porosity, sinuosity, occlusivity, compacity, contiguity, solar admittance, and mineralization. This system of indicators has been embedded in a shell of development of GIS and applied to various urban fabrics. The possible applications of this model are diverse: simplified analysis of outdoor microclimate tendencies, sustained environmental evaluation of a neighborhood, interdistrict or intercity comparisons, or modelling of the climate effect on future urban amenities.

International audience

Hand-drafted print, sketching and hand modeling were the standard for building designs before the advent of computer aided design (CAD) systems . Nowadays CAD systems are better understood, their adoption increased until the 2D, 3D CAD system and the virtual reality became the norm. Their natural evolution has given rise to a new and more complex generation of building design tools known as building information modeling, or BIM. There is insufficient clarity about what BIM is, although this is improving, and there is much shared understanding. There is agreement that BIM is not just software. BIM is not just CAD, or geometric data. BIM is a collaboratively generated and maintained, data rich, information source for the life of the design process and beyond. In this paper , we present briefly the greatest value derived from BIM in the use and maintenance of buildings and the use of TRNSYS with BIM.

Population aging and urban development pose major challenges for societies today. Joining the literature assessing urban accessibility, the present exploratory research developed a multivariate accessibility model based on four independent variables-related to formal and structural urban space-that influence walkability for older adults (pedestrian network; facilities and shops; public benches; and slopes and gradients). The model used ArcGIS software. For the accessibility calculations, we selected two suburban neighborhoods in the conurbation of Grenoble (France) and selected three types of older adults' profiles to reflect the variety of aging: an older adult in good health, an older adult with a chronic disease, and an older adult with reduced mobility. The results suggest that the accessibility of a neighborhood depends not only on its physical and urban characteristics, but it is also influenced by the physical and health characteristics of its inhabitants. The originality of the model lies mainly in its ability to estimate the spatial accessibility of a territory by taking into account, firstly, objective data such as the physical characteristics and the built environment of the neighborhood through objectification variables that consider such original variables as the presence of benches or the slopes and gradients and, secondly, specific data such as the physical and/or health characteristics of the study population. The measurement of geospatial accessibility could be of great value for public health in urban contexts, which is why relevant tools and methodologies are needed to objectively examine and intervene in public spaces in order to make them age-friendly.

Considering the advantages allowed by BIM in relation to collaborative work, production of data and interoperability, the main objective of this research is to investigate the possibilities opened by BIM methodology into the integration of the environmental dimension of sustainability into schematic stage of an architectural design process. Through the study of building environmental performance assessment tools BREEAM and LEED, a set of ten environmental criteria to be applied into the schematic stage and managed by BIM, have been identified. Activities and information exchanges involved where describe both graphically (process maps) and textually (exchanges requirements). The integration of each criterion workflow into a BIM environment allowed for a complete automation for obtaining five of the design criterion indicators, and partial automation for the five remaining. The results demonstrated that it is possible to integrate an environmental design approach from schematic stage of an architectural elaboration process managed by BIM.

Wind energy development is helpful for realizing a green city. This work concentrates on the study of estimating urban wind energy with consideration of urban morphology. Fourteen typical urban forms in Beijing city were selected and analyzed with nine relevant urban morphology parameters. Computational fluid dynamics numerical simulations were used to evaluate the wind energy potential of the urban forms. This work demonstrates that urban forms with higher plot ratio and mean aspect ratio usually have higher wind potential density by site area, an important indicator for neighborhood-scale wind potential development. Urban forms with higher average building height would have higher wind potential density by roof area, an important indicator for building-scale wind potential development. To promote wind potential over roofs, a layout of 45° of building configuration with inlet wind direction and building forms with round-angle corners are suggested. Local wind distribution is important for wind energy evaluation of individual buildings and wind energy distribution over different directions; however, it has a substantially lesser effect on the general wind potential comparison among urban forms with different urban characteristics.

Este estudo apresenta um método simplificado de análise e mapeamento morfológico do tecido urbano para auxiliar no estudo da climatologia e do impacto da forma urbana na demanda de energia das edificações. Diferentes parâmetros foram empregados na análise da geometria urbana, a fim realizar uma cartografia de áreas morfologicamente homogêneas, cada uma apresentando uma influência diferente na demanda energética das edificações. Numa primeira etapa, os parâmetros morfológicos urbanos foram automatizados e calculados em um sistema de informação geográfica, para diferentes resoluções espaciais. Os resultados morfológicos obtidos para uma aplicação na cidade de Maceió, AL, foram analisados por meio da Análise de Componentes Principais (ACP), a partir da qual foi possível identificar a significância dos parâmetros para o contexto urbano considerado. A análise de agrupamento (Clustering Analysis) permitiu que as diferentes configurações tipológicas fossem agregadas, classificadas e, na sequência, submetidas às simulações computacionais para estimativa da demanda de energia das edificações. Seis indicadores morfológicos foram conservados e cinco classes tipológicas representativas do tecido urbano de Maceió foram destacadas. Observou-se um impacto importante na demanda de energia de três parâmetros morfológicos principais: a densidade total construída, a verticalidade, a compacidade e o prospecto médio.

O Zoneamento Bioclimático Brasileiro faz parte da NBR 15220-3, em vigor desde 2005. Consiste na divisão do território brasileiro em 8 zonas climáticas. Para cada zona são feitas recomendações de estratégias de condicionamento térmico passivo para habitações de interesse social. Este trabalho tem como objetivo examinar o referido zoneamento quanto à adequabilidade de suas diretrizes para as cidades localizadas no semiárido alagoano. Por meio de simulação computacional, comparou-se o desempenho de uma edificação padrão, implantada na cidade de Maceió (quente-úmido), com o desempenho da mesma edificação na cidade de Pão de Açúcar (semiárido). As duas edificações foram modeladas de acordo com as diretrizes construtivas recomendadas pela NBR 15220-3, considerando a zona 8. De forma análoga, comparou-se o desempenho térmico da mesma edificação ajustada às recomendações para a zona 7. Uma análise das características do clima de Pão de Açúcar demonstra a existência de dois períodos diferentes (8 meses secos e 4 meses chuvosos), que demandam estratégias bioclimáticas diferenciadas. Conclui-se pela necessidade de aperfeiçoamento nos critérios da classificação dos municípios situados no semiárido alagoano, bem como da criação de subzonas que contemplem as particularidades climáticas regionais.

For cities, climate change is a major concern due to its severe impacts and its inherent complexity. City and building designers could be pivotal actors, but have yet to fully take on this role. Research can support adaptation action through greater collaboration with practitioners and a better understanding of their knowledge and practices. This paper presents results from a research project undertaken in Toulouse (France) last year. Urban practitioners were consulted through an online survey and observed in action during two design workshops. The findings highlight: (i) the hidden knowledge within design practice; (ii) the importance of providing designers with solution-focused and form-giving data; and (iii) the potential offered by design constraints to trigger changes in the practices of professionals.

Synopsis A thermal desorption autosampler coupled to a mass spectrometer has been used to measure the in vitro water retention of human stratum corneum as a function of treatment applied. Samples were treated with ingredients possessing good hygroscopic properties which are used in the formulation of moisturizing creams. After being treated, stratum corneum samples were dried and rehydrated and then analysed. The paper describes the method used to quantify their hygroscopic capacity in terms of the percentage of water retained. Ten humectants were examined, of which urea, glycerine, ammonium lactate and a new salt of an alpha-hydroxy acid were found to have the highest activities. This method can also be used to quantify the water retention capacity of various types of pathological skin such as ichthyosis and psoriasis.

Les Hopi, des Amérindiens établis en Arizona du nord, élaborent un paysage au moyen de pratiques de contemplation, de dispositifs architecturaux, de mythes et de récits de parcours, de pèlerinages sur les traces des aïeux, et plus récemment, par de la poésie et de la photographie de paysage. Cet article analyse trois domaines majeurs de cette construction : le domaine phénoménologique (rôle de la vue qui porte loin ; place de la couleur ; jeux d’échelles ; goût pour les objets naturels mimant des artefacts) ; le domaine social (interprétation éthique des traces des ancêtres ; formation d’une unité sociale) ; le domaine cognitif (modalités de la transmission et de la remémoration paysagères). À travers cette « étude de cas », l’article veut contribuer à une interrogation épistémologique sur les raisons du paysage, ici et ailleurs.

International audience

Assessing the impact of urban morphology on the indoor thermal condition of housing in a tourism city in central Vietnam — Hoi An City is the main objective of this study. The research process is carried out by a variety of methods including in situ surveys, measuring with temperature sensors, data analysis and map analysis. Four houses, located in two areas with different urban forms, were selected for measurement within one month to investigate the differences in housing indoor temperature. The impact of urban morphology on housing was thereafter determined. Temperature sensors were permanently installed in 4 houses; based on these empirical measurements and data collected, the paper addresses solutions to improve urban morphology and indoor thermal condition.

Depuis l’année 2004, une mission maroco-française a repris l’étude du site archéologique de Rirha, situé dans la plaine du Gharb, à 8 km au nord-ouest de Sidi Slimane, sur la rive droite de l’oued Beht (fig. 1, p. 346). Le site occupe un espace composé de trois tells artificiels enserrés dans un méandre. Après avoir réuni toute la documentation archéologique disponible depuis la découverte du site en 1919 jusqu’aux prospections menées dans la zone au début des années 2000, la mission a entrep...

The energy renovation of buildings plays a pivotal role in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and adapting cities to climate change. However, the pace of renovation in the European building stock remains relatively slow. The objective of this study is to enhance our understanding of the renovation status of the French building stock by cross-analysing multiple databases. In order to assess the levels of renovation, a methodology is proposed which combines Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) data with Danube, an archetypal architectural database. By mapping the Danube archetypes to the EPC geospatial data, an examination of the renovation status across different buildings can be conducted, taking into account factors such as construction period, building usage, urban form, and geographical location. The methodology employed entails the establishment of a correspondence between the aforementioned databases, the calculation of U-values for building envelope components of the Danube database, and the conduct of a comparative analysis of their thermal performances with the EPC referential. The findings of this study reveal a complex pattern of renovation rates across different construction periods and housing types. Notably, buildings constructed after the Second World War exhibit the highest rates of renovation. Additionally, individual dwellings undergo more extensive roof renovations than collective housing. This research makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the complexities of building renovations in urban environments, and provides insights that can inform the development of effective strategies for enhancing urban sustainability and resilience.

Résumé La mobilité des patients en Union européenne (UE) met en jeu des principes clés du jeu décisionnel (marché intérieur, libertés de circulation et souverainetés des États membres). Toute tentative de réglementation par l’UE doit composer avec ces éléments et rechercher le compromis. L’UE, dans le domaine de la protection sociale, ne peut que coordonner l’action des États membres, avec pour base légale d’action les libertés de circulation qui sous-tendent le marché intérieur. L’adoption de la directive sur les droits des patients en matière de soins de santé transfrontaliers est un exemple révélateur de la ténuité de la frontière existant entre compétences communautaires et nationales. Les jeux d’acteur au cours de la prise de décision et des débats entre la Commission européenne, le Conseil, le Parlement européen et les représentants d’intérêts bruxellois en ont été l’illustration. En effet, les sujets les plus controversés ont été ceux qui touchaient le plus à la souveraineté des États : la composition du panier de soins, l’autorisation préalable du système de santé pour les soins programmés à l’étranger, etc. Dans ce contexte, la recherche du compromis devient un défi, auquel le fonctionnement institutionnel et politique de l’UE a dû faire face afin d’adopter cette directive. Cet article vise à apporter au lecteur un éclairage concernant la prise de décision européenne en matière de santé, afin de lui permettre de mieux appréhender les enjeux et les opportunités que représente l’UE pour les systèmes de santé des États membres et les assurés européens. Prat Organ Soins. 2012;43(4):285-294

In our present research, we focus on the modeling of airflow related to extreme weather events and natural disasters, such as sand accumulation, with urban form studies. The objective is to find which urban form can promote sand passing and reduce as much as possible stagnation of sand in the built environment (streets, alleys, etc.). The urban form design is discussed through the numerical simulation of airflow. We simulate the airflow behavior, especially the wind velocity, which is responsible of sand stagnation in some specific configurations. Various configurations of buildings were considered and different airflow behaviors were thus observed. The method of modeling was verified by following some best practice guidelines. In this study, a correlation was made ​​between wind velocity and morphological parameters such as width of buildings and widths of the street that separates buildings, building height and building density. Results of our simulations show that some types of urban form can promote wind speed and help blow away the accumulated sand in the city.

In Toulouse, the urban development project that was consolidated at the end of the 2000's has led to repositioning culture as a lever in favor of metropolitan construction. A broad-based steering committee reached out to the city's artistic actors in seeking to define a novel project involving amplified music that called for, among other things, construction of a complex dedicated to the local performing arts scene, known as the "Metronum". Inaugurated in 2014, this facility is intended over the long run to bolster a territory that had been weakened by a lack of venues of artistic creation and performance. The location chosen in an outlying district of Toulouse was also aimed at easing the social and geographic transformations shaping a metropolitan area, where buoyant growth had stretched the urban fabric over a much broader scale. However, the roundtables held on integrating music into the urban planning and development process attested to the presence of tensions between the political and artistic communities, opposing the desire to facilitate widespread musical activities with artists' tendency to spontaneously converge their craft at the city center. This article shows the extent to which the study of amplified music reveals a city's unique spatial dynamics, capable of undermining the priorities of an urban design project.

Il n'est pas inéluctable d'utiliser, dans les écoles d'architecture et pour l'apprentissage de la conception, les outils logiciels qu'exploitent les architectes en phase de production. On exposera en quoi ces systèmes lourds et efficaces dans la fabrication des pièces écrites et graphiques en fin de projet, se révèlent inadaptés en phase d'apprentissage et de pré-conception. L'alternative ici proposée consiste à considérer un étudiant comme un acteur qui décide, dans un environnement multiple et changeant de modules logiciels, d'appeler tel ou tel élément propre à stimuler son imagination ou aider sa réflexion, dans la phase où il se trouve, dans le mode de représentation qu'il choisit. Cet environnement est considéré comme un dispositif. Quelques exemples existants de ces modules logiciels sont brièvement présentés, comme incitation à continuer d'explorer cette voie. La conclusion expose la difficulté de l'entreprise, mais insiste sur les enjeux qui y sont attachés.