Civil Engineering Association

This book is divided into six main chapters. Chapter 1 sets the scene, outlining the importance of each of the main environmental factors affecting site layout. Chapters 2–6 then cover the urban design process, from the selection of a site for a new development to the design and landscaping of individual buildings and the spaces around them. Chapter 2 begins by considering the environmental issues affecting site location. It will be particularly valuable for urban planners setting out environmental structure plans for their cities and towns. It will also be of value to developers who have a range of different sites from which to choose the location of a development. Chapter 3, on public open space, is also principally aimed at urban planners and designers of multi-building developments. It covers a range of issues concerned with the design of groups of buildings and the external spaces they generate around them. Chapter 4 focuses on the design of individual groups of buildings. It will be of particular interest to building designers and development control officers. A key issue, dealt with fully here, is how the new building affects the environmental quality of existing buildings nearby. Chapter 5 links in with this, showing how built form can impact the quality of the building itself and its immediate surroundings. Finally, Chapter 6 will be of particular interest to landscape designers. It deals with the selection and design of vegetation and hard landscaping to modify microclimate in the spaces immediately surrounding buildings. Europe covers a wide range of climate types and not all the techniques described in this book will be applicable to all of them. Throughout the book, the symbols (left) show which climate types the advice is aimed at. Section 1.13 (at the end of this chapter) will be especially useful here. It describes the range of climate types in Europe and the heating and cooling requirements in each, with a summary of layout strategies. Designers without detailed local knowledge of an area may find it helpful to start with this chapter. The book refers to a range of prediction tools which can help evaluate the environmental impacts of buildings and groups of buildings. These are described briefly in Appendices A and B and full references are given. Finally, Appendix C contains a glossary of technical terms used.