Use case

Sun, shadow and wind on the real site

See where the sun is through the year, how the scheme and its neighbours shade each other, where the wind comes from and how comfortable the outside spaces are, without a specialist.

Search a siteFree sun path diagram

How to do it

  1. 1

    Pick the site

    Search the address and draw the site; the buildings round it come in as 3D context.

  2. 2

    Choose the moments

    Pick dates and times: the solstices, the equinox or your own.

  3. 3

    Read the results

    Shadows on the plan and in 3D, the sun path, the wind rose and thermal comfort for the site.

  4. 4

    Put it on the board

    Add the studies to a board or the client deck as images or live cards.

What it runs

Environmental studies run in the browser from real data for the site.

  • Sun path and sun hours for any date
  • Shadows of the scheme and the context
  • Wind from a year of hourly climate data
  • Outdoor thermal comfort (UTCI)

In Rhino and SketchUp

Urbanaut brings the same context and five-plus environmental simulations into Rhino 8 and SketchUp, on the live model.

Questions

Where does the climate data come from?

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From the Open-Meteo archive (ERA5 reanalysis); sun positions from SunCalc.

Is it accurate enough for planning?

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It is right for design decisions and early conversations. For formal daylight or sunlight assessments, use a specialist method your authority accepts.

Related

ToolsSun path diagramThe sun’s track over any city on the solstices and the equinox.ToolsShadow length calculatorHow long a building’s shadow is, and which way it falls, at any time.ToolsWind roseWhere the wind comes from through a year, from real hourly data.UrbanEyesUrbanautUrbanEyes inside Rhino and SketchUp.

Start with any site on Earth

Search an address for a free preview: buildings, climate and sun angles, no account.

Search a site