Wind Microclimate

We make urban habitats more comfortable and de-risk the planning process through application of high resolution CFD modelling early in the design and planning process. Greater understanding of the urban habitat, earlier, allows the creation of more effective solutions developed in tune with the building.

Our technology cannot only accurately predict a buildings local airflow, but allows the route cause of any pedestrian comfort issue to be found. Our long history in world-class aerodynamic expertise, enables us to develop innovative and non-intuitive design solutions that are beyond the scope of more traditional processes.

Our “daily development cycle” approach provides rapid turn around of results for new building designs, allowing pedestrian comfort analysis to be a part of the design process, rather than an afterthought. We enable our clients to have greater control on their urban habitats.

Example case study includes 22 Bishopsgate

Master Planning

Our wind microclimate modelling can be scaled up to master planning levels and beyond, without jeopardising model resolution or results accuracy. This is due to Wirth Research’s on site high performance computing infrastructure and highly developed CFD processes and methods aimed to provide accurate results in short turnaround times.

Use of Wirth early on in the design process allows our clients to de-risk the planning process, and due to our “daily development cycle” approach, we are able to respond quickly to a clients needs.

Natural ventilation and stack effect

We make buildings more comfortable and energy efficient. We reduce operating and capital expenditure through more effective and efficient use of ventilation systems.

Our natural ventilation modelling capabilities were employed to make the Bloomberg HQ in London worlds highest BREEM-rated major office building.

Our modelling has helped Apple Park become one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the world.

Wirth Research’s natural ventilation and stack effect modelling incorporates physics, such as solar loads, occupancy effects, electrical loads and lighting heat sources. This allows for detailed analysis of the internal airflows and efficient optimisation of the building layout. The internal building model can also be directly coupled to a full external urban model, covering several kilometres in diameter, to assess the impact of variations in wind conditions on the stack effect.

Example case studies include:

Natural Ventilation modelling of Bloomberg London

Natural Ventilation modelling of Apple Park

Wind loads and cladding pressures

Application of our wind load and façade pressure modelling earlier in the building design process will allow more aerodynamically efficient buildings to be development, and hence reduce building material costs.

Wirth Research’s validated bluff-body aerodynamic CFD methods enable the accurate prediction of the wind loads and cladding pressures that a building will experience.

This process can lead to innovative and efficient shape optimisation never before seen in the industry. In the short term, allowing wind tunnel programs to be used as sign off.

Wind-driven rain

For semi-open developments, there can be a risk of rain water being driven into pedestrian areas, causing significant comfort and safety concerns. Our CFD analysis can be adapted to account for rainfall and water accumulation on a variety of urban surfaces, allowing for mitigation of wind-driven rain effects.