Environmental Perception: climate in urban public spaces

Supervisors: Simos Yannas, Paula Cadima

Urbanisation has not only changed the environmental properties of our surroundings, it has also affected our relationship and interactions with them. The way people use public spaces is strongly influenced by the environmental conditions experienced in these spaces. A design that generates a comfortable climatic environment promotes the use of urban public spaces, enhancing social cohesion and improving quality of life within cities. This research project addresses these issues by studying people’s environmental perceptions of urban public spaces. With field studies in Soho Square, London and several locations in Spain the project investigates the factors influencing environmental perception with the aim of developing appropriate design strategies and techniques for improving environmental conditions in outdoor urban spaces.

Patricia Martin del Guayo obtained her degree in Architecture in San Sebastian, Spain, and was an Erasmus Scholar at TUWien, Austria. She completed a Masters degree in Urban Design at Harvard University which she attended as a RCC scholar and is currently a Gobierno Vasco scholar for her PhD at the AA. She worked as an architect in Spain and Germany and now has her own design practice in London.

Patricia.Martin@aaschool.ac.uk www.martindelguayo.com