2026 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate major in Urban Design and Built Environment
Applied Engineering on Thermal Environment
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Urban Design and Built Environment
- Instructor(s)
- Takashi Asawa
- Class Format
- Lecture
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - Class
- -
- Course Code
- UDE.E505
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2026
- Offered quarter
- 3Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 5, 2026
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Thermal environmental problems, including the heat island effect, have become serious in urban areas of Japan, and they are regarded as the epitome of urban environmental problems. This course proceeds followed by "Fundamental Engineering on Thermal Environment" and provides mitigation and adaptation measures for the heat island effect, in order to discuss the way to create comｆortable urban environments. In particular, numerical simulation tools for urban thermal environment are introduced and the relationships between urban spatial design and comfortable thermal environment are discussed through the simulation studies.
Course description and aims
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Understand heat island countermeasures in view of both mitigation and adaptation measures.
2) Understand fundamentals, algorithm, practical tool and visualization of thermal environment simulation, and acquire the way to apply the tool to actual cases.
3) Learn the relationships between urban spatial design and comfortable thermal environment through the simulation studies.
Keywords
Urban environemnt, Thermal environment, Heat island, Numerical simulation, Thermal comfort, Environmental design
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
The class proceeds with handouts. In the latter part of the fourth class, students should take midterm examination related to the lectures. At the end of the class, students are given a report assignment related to the contents of lectures.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Climatic factors in urban and built environment |
Understand climatic factors in urban and built environment. |
| Class 2 | Urban greening and its effect on urban environment |
Understand urban greening and its effect on urban environment. |
| Class 3 | Human thermal sensation and comfort |
Understand human thermal sensation and comfort. |
| Class 4 | Heat island mitigation and adaptation, Midterm examination |
Understand mitigation and adaptation measures for urban heat island effect. Midterm examination. |
| Class 5 | Comfortable urban environment |
Understand comfortable urban environment. |
| Class 6 | Thermal environment simulation |
Understand simulation methods for urban thermal environment. |
| Class 7 | Thermal environment design |
Understand thermal environment design for urban areas. |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Not in particular
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Not in particular
Evaluation methods and criteria
Students' knowledge of thermal environment, urban greening, thermal sensation and comfort, fundamental and application of thermal environment simulation, and thermal environment design will be assessed.
Evaluation criteria are participation and contribution to the class (40%), midterm exam (20%), and final report (40%).
Related courses
- UDE.E404 ： Basic Engineering on Thermal Environment
- ARC.E425 ： Evaluation and Design of Thermal Environment
Prerequisites
Students are expected to take the lecture of "Fundamental Engineering on Thermal Environment" in prior to this lecture.