This analysis focuses on Richmond, Virginia in the United States of America. Weather conditions in Richmond are typical of a mid-latitude location. We’ve explored the environmental conditions that shape building design and urban planning in this mid-latitude location.
Our focus is on a vacant lot at 701 East Canal Street, in downtown Richmond. This property is owned by the local electric utility, Dominion Energy, and sits adjacent to their headquarters, the Thomas F. Farrell II Building and Kanawa Park. Given its proximity to these significant commercial and recreational spaces, the site offers a unique opportunity for a high-rise commercial development integrated with urban fabric.
The surrounding area is zoned for high-rise commercial buildings, and surface parking is not permitted. Recently, there was a proposal to convert this lot into a clean energy park with electric vehicle charging stations beneath a photovoltaic canopy. Although it never materialized, this plan highlights the site’s unique availability to direct solar radiation.
We developed a parametric high-rise building form that we can adjust for optimization. We also imported the surrounding building geometry. By integrating solar, comfort, daylight, wind, and infrared simulations, we learned to optimize the building’s form and orientation for changing seasons. Rotating the geometry helped us reduce overheating during hot periods, improve daylighting, and limit direct solar gains. These simulations guided strategies that balance comfort, energy use, and sustainable performance.
We divided our analysis into four distinct seasons—summer, fall, winter, and spring—using the U.S. National Weather Service’s equinox dates. This seasonal slicing helped us understand how conditions evolve throughout the year.
VERNAL EQUINOX: 3/19/24
SUMMER SOLSTICE: 6/20/24
AUTUMNAL EQUINOX: 9/22/24
WINTER SOLSTICE: 12/21/24
Richmond experiences westerly winds (south and west) which is expected as a mid-latitude location.
The wind direction biases southerly in the autumn months, peaking in september. The wind speed is typically at or below 2m/s for the entire year. Seasonal variations show a slight southerly bias in autumn.
Summer winds tend to be more southern and Winter winds tend to be more western.
We used eddy3D to perform a CFD wind analysis on one building placement on our site.
The surrounding buildings funnel the wind towards the southern end of the site. This creates wind turbulence from the west, south and east sides of the southern half of the site.
Wind speed and comfort simulations suggest that, due to the site’s relative openness to the south and west, structural designs must consider wind shear loads. Proper aerodynamic shaping and façade strategies can help mitigate discomfort and structural stress.
We performed a wind speed optimization to determine the best building location for our site. The best location for the building moves it south of the turbulence. The worst location for the building puts it in the middle of the turbulence.
Overall, our site’s lack of protection from southern and western exposures emphasizes the importance of thoughtful orientation. With westerly and southerly winds, careful placement of windows and ventilation elements can harness natural cooling in summer. At the same time, controlling direct solar gain through awnings, shading devices, and thermal mass strategies will be crucial for year-round comfort.
Relative Humidity peaks in September and is lowest in March. Relative humidity can range widely, from very dry conditions to nearly saturated air.
This Direct Normal Solar Radiation chart shows daytime intensity through the calendar year.
Richmond has traditional four seasons with a summer, autumn, winter and spring season.
The summer, autumn and spring seasons have more inconsistent temperatures than the summer season. There is a risk of 0° or below temperatures between November 7th and April 06.
The humidity is varying throughout the year, ranging from below 20% to 100% through the entire year.
Throughout the year, average temperatures range from about 4°C in winter to 27°C in summer
Summer in Richmond, stretching from May to mid-September, sees maximum daily temperatures around or above 23°C, with peaks in late June and early July. In contrast, winter temperatures often drop below freezing, particularly from November through March. The lowest temperatures typically occur in late January and early February.
Richmond’s four distinct seasons present a range of conditions: summers are hot and humid; winters are cold with potential sub-freezing temperatures; and transitional seasons—spring and autumn—bring more variability. Relative humidity can range widely, from very dry conditions to nearly saturated air.
As a mid-latitude city, Richmond’s solar path is moderate. Interestingly, winter radiation peaks are higher than summer, with values around 65.66 kWh/m² in winter compared to 37.65 kWh/m² in summer. The sun’s elevation angle is about 45° higher in summer than in winter, a critical factor in passive solar design.
The sun’s path shifts higher in the sky during warmer months. By analyzing sun hours and surrounding contexts, we can identify opportunities for strategic shading and daylight optimization.
By rotating the building’s centroid, we can influence solar exposure. Through analysis, we found that maximum low solar hours between 10 am and 2 pm occur around a 251° orientation, while a 143° orientation minimizes low solar hours. These insights help in fine-tuning energy performance and occupant comfort.
Rotation Optimization:
Maximum % of low solar hours: 10 am -2pm
82% at 251°
Minimum % of low solar hours: 10 am -2pm
75% at 143°
Results and Outlook:
The site we selected is unprotected by neighboring buildings to the west and south.
Due to the prevailing southerly and westerly winds in Richmond, wind analysis may suggest additional structural support to account for the wind shear loads.
The seasonal southern sun paths would allow shading techniques such as awnings, sun walls, louvers, glazing, and thermal mass strategies will be crucial for year-round comfort.
Design Information for Buildings on this Site:
- HVAC systems must provide both heating and cooling.
- Heating systems and cooling systems will each be needed around half the year.
- Passive solar building design will be effective with predictable solar paths varying throughout the year (ex. Thermal mass walls, awnings, pergolas).
- Building orientation can predict western wind forces and southern solar ingress.
- SW winds in summer can be utilized to naturally cool the building, reducing reliance on air conditioning systems.
- Design the layout with strategically placed windows and vents that allow cross-ventilation, effectively drawing in cool air from the prevailing summer winds to ventilate and cool the building
