ENVELOPE BUILDING MATERIALS USED IN THE URBAN AREAS AND

THEIR ABILITY FOR REDUCE THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND.

The urban heat island (UHI) has a direct effect on energy consumption, thermal comfort and
environmental contamination of cities. Internationally, the different strategies formulated to mitigate the
urban heat island are sustained in two principles: Increase the green coverage and work on the
thermophysical properties of buildings materials used in roofs, pavements and facades. The use of "cold
materials" seems to be a low cost and viable alternative.
This work evaluates the potential for passive cooling of 38 pedestrian pavement, 16 tiles, 80 coatings for
facades of acrylic and cement composition, mostly spread in the local built park. The study was carried
out by the determination of solar reflectance and surface temperature with respect to a black and white
pattern, defined as Solar Reflectance Index (SRI).
The study was made for Mendoza City, Argentina. The city is made up by a range of different materials
which are the result of applying traditional elements regionally available, technologies associated to the
seismic nature of the site and the current design tendencies in the architecture field.
The results show that an area with high solar reflectance and infrared emittance, exposed to solar
radiation have a greater value of SRI. Therefore it is more efficient to mitigate the negative effects of
UHI, compared to a similar surface with a lower albedo and emissivity. This means that you can improve
the thermal behavior of the envelope with the proper selection of the shape, color, composition and
finishing materials, conciliating the thermal performance with the esthetic requirements. The final goal is
generate a valid tool to support sustainable decisions in urban design.
Keywords: Cold materials, Solar reflectance index, Urban heat island, Mitigation, Sustainable urban
design.

The study was made for Mendoza City, Argentina. The city is made up by a range of different materials
which are the result of applying traditional elements regionally available, technologies associated to the
seismic nature of the site and the current design tendencies in the architecture field.