G R O U P 8 :J O N A T H A N T A N

J A C K I E Z E N GW I N S T O N L I ML I M Z H E X U N

L E O N A R D Y A M

MICROCLIMATE STUDY OF HCI

OVERVIEW

Over a course of 2 fieldwork sessions, we managed to compile different sets of data taken from different parts of school

We plotted our course carefully to ensure that we covered as many areas in the shortest time possible

Our hypothesis is that areas with concrete surfaces have higher temperatures than those without

FIRST STOP: OPEN SPACE BETWEEN CANTEEN AND BLOCK C

We observed that the general area was relatively well-covered, with large trees and tall buildings to provide a lot of shade

We also noticed that the floor was covered with concrete tiles, although it had relatively low temperatures compared to other areas

SECOND STOP: GARDEN

We observed that the garden area has a lot of lush plants, and is located in the centre of a tight cluster of buildings, which fail to provide any shade whatsoever, so the temperature is subject to the weather

There was a concrete path, but it does not affect the temperature much because it has a relatively small area compared to the garden itself

THIRD STOP: MULTI-STOREY CARPARK

The top level of the carpark is exposed to the elements as there is no shade whatsoever

The temperature is also affected by residual heat from the engines of cars, and the surface of the top level is mainly concrete

FOURTH STOP: TERRACES

We observed that the terraces are largely exposed to the elements, although the top level is covered slightly by some trees

The terraces are largely made of concrete, but it can get quite breezy during the day, which will affect temperature readings

FIFTH STOP: FIELD

The field is a large, open grassy area exposed to all the elements, and is significantly cooler than other areas, due to the transpiration of water vapour by the grass

SIXTH STOP: TRACK

The track, like the field is exposed, but temperatures are not as cool as the field, due to the fact that the track is made of polyurethane, which absorbs slightly less heat, and also the fact that there were a lot of college students were running on the track during the first session of fieldwork, which can affect temperatures as kinetic energy from their feet is converted into thermal energy

FINAL STOP: FOUNTAIN

We observed that the area surrounding the fountain was mainly concrete, and the fountain itself was filled with water, therefore it is the coolest

The area is surrounded by tall buildings, providing moderate shade

TEMPERATURES FOR THE FIRST DAY8.30AM-8.45AM

Areas Temperature at 15cm

Temperature at 1.5m

MSCP 26.9 26.7

Garden 27.4 27.5

Open Space 27.2 27.3

Terraces 26.5 27.5

Field 27.2 27.3

Track 26.5 26.7

Fountain 27.3 27.0

TEMPERATURES FOR THE SECOND DAY12.45PM-1PM

Sites Temp at 15cm Temp at 1.5m

MCSP 31.2 31.3

Garden 29.8 30.1

Open Space 30.5 30.4

Terraces 31.9 30.9

Field 31.3 30.3

Track 32.1 32.5

Fountain 32.4 31.5

RANKING OF TEMPERATURES

Site Average Temperature

Ranking from hot to cool

Concrete?

MCSP 29.02 3 Yes

Garden 28.70 5 No

Open Space 28.85 5 Yes

Terraces 29.00 4 Yes

Field 29.02 3 No

Track 29.45 2 No

Fountain 29.55 1 Yes

TWO HOTTEST AREAS

The fountain and the track were the hottestPossible reasons are: the fountain is under direct

sunlight, and it is surrounded by buildings painted white, which reflect heat towards the fountain

The track is under direct sunlight, and it is made of a rubber-like material, which traps heat

DIFFERENCE IN READINGS

Based on our results, the temperature taken at 1.5m was generally slightly lower than that at 15cm

REASONS FOR DIFFERENT READINGS AT DIFFERENT AREAS

We decided that there were several reasons for the differences:1. Amount of shade provided by surroundings2. Cloud cover3. Exposure to sunlight4. Material5. Presence of vegetation6. Amount of wind

CONCLUSION

We decided to reject the hypothesis due to the results of our fieldwork

Our readings showed that the hottest areas were not necessarily made of concrete. On the contrary, some of the concrete surfaced areas were cooler than other places