Climate Visualization Resources
Designing for the current and future climate is a crucial step in creating a more just, resilient, and humane built environment. Whether we're optimizing buildings for passive heating and cooling, or investigating the impacts a building might have on the neighborhood around it, an understanding of temperatures, sun and wind patterns, and climate change impacts is key. Energy modeling and data visualization software can generate detailed representations of local climates, but often require fees and advanced proficiency with the tools - not something all designers have access to when making early project decisions. Below is a list of free-to-use resources for accessible, understandable climate visual reference.
General
- CBE Clima lets the user generate simple visualizations of annual weather and how it affects the built environment in locations worldwide. Temperature, sun angles, wind, and other factors are represented and related to human comfort. Next to each visual you’ll see a book icon; click on that to see an explanation of what the chart is telling you and what it implies for design. This is a great starting point for thinking through how to work with the local climate in order to rely less on active energy-consuming systems for comfort.
- The 2030 Palette illustrates ideal architectural responses to climatic conditions, connecting the data you’ve found above to specific design strategies.
Adding Human Factors
- Heat Equity Mapping factors in not just the air temperature, but also the built environment and vulnerability factors, to visualize where people are most exposed to uncomfortable or dangerous heat in selected U.S. cities. Many local governments offer similar maps.
- Perkins & Will’s PRECEDE tool maps public health and socioeconomic data including built environment factors like proximity to green space or sources of pollution. As a tool made specifically for designers, it includes calls to action for project teams to address health disparities at or near their site.
- The Climate Vulnerability Index is a mapping project that combines climate change related hazards such as flooding or extreme heat with social factors to identify where in the U.S. people are most at risk. Digging further into the data behind an area’s overall risk factor will help you understand what risks to design for to keep building occupants and their surrounding neighborhoods safe.
- Neighborhoods At Risk has similar data with useful explanations of what puts certain areas at higher risk.
Anticipating Climate Change
Climate Explorer is a simple to use, comprehensive tool for viewing likely changes in temperature and precipitation in the U.S.
Surging Seas and Coastal Risk Screening Tool let you explore likely impacts of sea level rise.
PrepData includes global climate projections and vulnerability data. The data sets for projected heating and cooling degree days are especially relevant for understanding the scale of climate change impact on a building’s energy use.
