Dr. Lilly Rose A

Urban Climate, Urban morphology and urban heat island intensity, Outdoor thermal comfort, Local Climate Zone (LCZ) classification, Thermal performance of building materials, Sustainable Buildings and Low Intensive Energy use in buildings

Climate analysis (Climate consultant, Andrew marsh tools), Envi-Met analyis for outdoor thermal comfort, Rayman Pro analysis for OTC

Heat stress mitigation in cities using LCZ framework

"Urban climate studies have gained significant attention globally, and scientific research correlating the link between climate, comfort trends and urban built form are often neglected, but are essential in improving the comfort conditions in urban areas. My doctoral research work addressed at the enhancement of outdoor thermal comfort conditions, through a detailed analysis of the climatic impact of urbanization in Chennai Metropolitan Area. The study found a strong and statistically significant trend that existed between thermal comfort and urbanization. The thermal comfort changes were strong during the day in the “recent climate”, which attributed to urbanization. The daytime thermal comfort trends at both the urban and rural stations, revealed a significant increasing trend in the discomfort level, with nearly 100% of the people feeling either uncomfortably hot or distressed. The night time thermal comfort analysis revealed that the nights were comfortable in the CMA, but the urban changes in the recent years, have revealed a significant increasing trend towards discomfort. The significant existence of an urban heat island was evident from the urban-rural temperature differences in the CMA, during both day and night. During the night, all the urban and suburban locations within the CMA were warmer than the rural locations, whereas during the day some locations were warmer and others cooler. The study found the maximum nocturnal CLUHI during the calm, clear, winter periods in the CMA. The maximum daytime intensity was experienced by the SUHI when compared to the CLUHI. The urban rural differences revealed a significant cool island during the day, and the maximum cool island intensity was experienced during summer. The study also found a significant correlation between urban-rural differences and the urban built-up density, urban geometry, vegetation etc., which indicated the significance of the development regulations that define the urban built form, in designing comfortable urban environments. Also, the urban growth pattern of the CMA was found to have a significant impact on the surface temperatures, and the sprawl of the hotspots corresponded to the degree of urban built-up between 1988 and 2008. Hard surfaces such as the buildings, roads, parking lots etc., increased the surface temperatures significantly, while soft surfaces such as the green cover, and dense vegetated areas reduced the daytime surface temperatures. Also, the study found a significant correlation between the daytime comfort and street geometry and percentage of urban built-up, indicating the significance of improving the daytime comfort in residential areas, by stipulating appropriate urban built-form in the development regulations of the CMA. "

"In India, rapid urbanization has compelled local governments to revise planning regulations on a regular basis, with the goal of providing urban living more affordable. As a result, the urban built density is being increased without considering the impact of such changes on human thermal comfort. The difference in atmospheric conditions between urban regions and its fringe areas i.e., UHI occurs mostly due to modifications in the urban built form. Outdoor microclimate is one of the significant factors that determines the quality and usage of outdoor spaces. Research to evaluate the severity of heat island intensity and assess the relationship of the urban built form and development regulations and its impact on outdoor thermal comfort can improve the quality of urban outdoor spaces. This can be done through examining the performance of urban neighborhoods though Local Climate Zone classifications (LCZ) in terms of outdoor thermal comfort and determining the relationship between urban built form and microclimate parameters. Also, understanding the relationship between development regulations and urban morphology, can aid in improving the microclimate parameters and outdoor thermal comfort."