Climate-adapted urban planning is the future. If we can calculate the urban climate, we can also design better environments offering greater comfort and quality of life. With the aid of the Bioclimatic Tool’s advanced calculations, we can map out winds, shadow, direct and indirect solar radiation for a location. This information is simulated in a 3D model early on in the planning stage so that the conditions prevailing onsite can be used to optimise the positioning and architecture of buildings. Mapping weather conditions allows us to plan our towns and cities in a way that uses winds but avoids wind tunnel effects and windy spots. The Bioclimatic Tool also makes it possible to plan where outdoor seating should be positioned on a square or to determine the best position for a sandpit in a park.

Digital model for meteorological data
The idea for the calculation tool was born during a design competition in the Moroccan capital of Rabat. The importance of letting in cooling winds from the Atlantic meant that Tyréns' team members came up with the idea of designing a digital model where meteorological data calculated the climate at specific locations. They quickly saw the potential and benefit of using this calculation tool in urban planning and they made up their minds to develop their idea further. Helped by a grant from the Sven Tyrén Trust, the work soon got underway. Two years later, the entire concept of the Bioclimatic Toolkit was fully developed.

Climate-adapted urban planning can play a fundamental role in achieving sustainability. If we can achieve better planning and design of building developments, thereby creating attractive outdoor environments in which to live and work, people will be less dependent on air-conditioned indoor environments. Climate-adapted urban design also means more extensive use of natural ventilation, daylight and solar energy in order to improve the comfort of city dwellers and, as a result, reduce their dependence on fossil fuels for heating and cooling.