A new Master’s thesis, developed in collaboration with the LIFE CET IRENE project, provides valuable insights into how public spaces in Madrid’s Puerto Chico neighbourhood can be redesigned to improve outdoor thermal comfort and manage solar radiation.

The thesis, “Thermo-optical characterisation of urban materials and analysis of climatic and comfort variables for the diagnosis and optimised management of solar radiation: The case of Puerto Chico Square and its surrounding spaces in Aluche, Madrid”, was written by Diego Castellanos Pinto and recently published by the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM).

The study was carried out through collaboration between UPM’s Master’s Degree in Sustainable Architecture and Environment (MAYAB) and the LIFE CET IRENE project, under the supervision of researchers from the Eduardo Torroja Institute for Construction Science (IETcc-CSIC).

Assessing outdoor comfort in Puerto Chico

As part of the studies supporting IRENE’s Madrid pilot, the research provides a bioclimatic assessment of the current condition of the public spaces in Puerto Chico. The neighbourhood is currently undergoing a process of regeneration, with public spaces identified for refurbishment by Madrid City Council.

The research analyses climatic and material factors that influence outdoor thermal comfort and how solar radiation is managed in the area. It also calculates a set of outdoor comfort indicators, providing a quantitative basis for assessing the improvements resulting from the planned regeneration works.

A key aspect of the study is its analysis of the thermo-optical properties of urban materials. By experimentally characterising these properties, the methodology can help identify strategies to improve solar radiation management and create more comfortable outdoor environments.