Improving Climate Adaptation of Open Spaces in historical buildings. The case of the complex of San Francesco del Prato (Parma)

The livability of urban spaces and the well-being of people is increasingly endangered by the worsening of climatic conditions. This is particularly alarming in warm and temperate-warm regions and in historical contexts due to the scarcity of vegetation, massive and impermeable surfaces, in conjunction with the diffusion of low-reflectivity materials and reduced air flows. This situation appears even more critical in historical and dense urban contexts, where open space, which can be identified in courtyards, cloisters, and connection spaces, is scarcely considered and adaptation and reuse interventions are not very effective. To improve the climatic adaptation of these protected contexts, limiting the effects of direct solar radiation, increasing the shading solutions, and increasing transpiration using green solutions are among the most effective strategies. The article proposed here illustrates a microclimatic design approach used for the adaptation research of the internal courtyard of the monumental complex of San Francesco del Prato in Parma, experimenting in a recursive way through the numerical microclimatic simulation of ENVI-met. Although the intentional inclusion of bioclimatic solutions in historical venues are often presented as a viable design strategy, the feasibility of accommodating green and blue solutions within geometrically complex microclimates is often disregarded. This article presents the development of bioclimatic and recursive design options in outdoor spaces. The methodology employs the ENVI-met tool to test the most suitable design to face a projected 2080 climate conditions in terms of outdoor thermal comfort. The assessment is based on the comparative analysis of the incremental environmental performance offered by each corrective proposal designed and here described. Using this methodology as part of a multifocal design strategies for renovating outdoor space in historical venues can be a robust yet flexible tool for many designers.