Cities worldwide are trying to address the urban heat island effects (UHI), which are the result of urban densification and mineralization of surfaces. Elevated temperatures, and radiating materials push people to retreat into air-conditioned spaces, which amplifies the problem. The climate change is affecting the quality of urban life motivating me to find a cooling solutions for cities.
Inspiration
Microclimates are often found under tree canopies and near vegetation. In fact, the transpiration of plants combined with the shade created by the leaves helps to cool the environment, while generating a local source of humidity and improving the thermal feeling.
How to
Objective : Create controlled milling microclimates to relieve populations during periods of heat.
How : In order to create the desired microclimate, I decided to look in to the methods used to collect mist water at high altitudes. Porous nets are often used to catch water droplets in the air.
Initial sketching
My ideation process is mainly depicted around the idea of an urban canopy that would retain moisture in a given environment all by creating shading for city folks.
Prototyping and testing
Nuée is a suspended installation that creates a cool microclimate and provides needed relief to the urban population during a heatwave. It is meant to be a short-term solution, installed in strategic locations to make summer outdoor activities more tolerable. The system is designed to create shade, humidify the air, and cool the surfaces below, which otherwise would radiate heat throughout the night. The overall temperature can be significantly reduced in areas that try to attract urban life and foster social interaction
The product is composed of large and medium-size, light-weight disks that can be attached to a cable system of varying height, forming a cloud-shaped urban canopy. The shape of the disk is maintained by a fiberglass frame, which keeps the fabric under tension. It is designed to be easily attached, detached, and adjusted. The discs can freely move live the branches a tree branches and leaves of trees.
In order to opt for freedom of placement, a fixing piece allows cables to be stretched and oriented as desired. This same piece allows you to create high misting pressure, supplied with water from a public water source.
