The effect of urban obstructions in Mediterranean climates: built form typology, density and energy

In spite of the ever increasing unsustainable nature of the “conventional” city and its concurrent assertion as a human habitat par excellence, it is important to define intervention strategies that can improve the “metabolic” operation of built environments. If related to urban morphology, these take on more effective potentiality and are a guiding tool for more appropriate, more beneficial interventions. In the specific context of the Mediterranean compact city, the interaction between density, morphology and energy discussed here is one of the components required if not for the complex solution of the problem, then at least for reducing the environmental impact of urban models. The results here proposed of a comparative study carried out on various fabrics in the city of Barcelona, in search of parametric relations between density and energy-environmental behaviour. The said relations, we analyse the effects of urban obstructions: the basis of knowledge required for conscious built environment transformation, towards more efficient conditions.