Urban heat island study on building morphology related with micro-climate condition and energy consumption within Singapore commercial area

Abstract

Urbanization has been a majority in cities. In 2008, for the first time in human history, more than half of human population live in cities and towns. By 2030, it is predicted the urban population could reach 5 billion, with urban growth concentrated in Africa and Asia. Singapore, widely known as the 'red dot' within South East Asia region, will be highly affected with the current urbanization issue. Singapore has become one of the world leading financial centres, where the country is also a highly cosmopolitan world city, with a key role in international trade and finance. On the other hand, the economic growth also attracts investors and foreign workers. The population increase within a small island has pushed the government to do land reclamation and build high rise buildings. The vertical growth in building construction without proper planning means only one thing; it will intensify the urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon. This paper will look into the different urban settings within Singapore commercial district, to see how the building configuration affects the micro-climate condition within urban area. By using Geographic Information System (GIS), The Screening Tool for Estate Environment Evaluation (STEVE) and coupled with TAS, a baseline condition of the urban condition can be developed. Consequently, further study will take a look how the result will affect the energy consumption by using a hypothetical building placed in the study area under different scenarios. In the end, the study aims to provide informative analysis of current and future city planning, for designers, urban planners, and researchers.