The residential solar block envelope: A method for enabling the development of compact urban blocks with high passive solar potential

•The paper presents the RSB envelope, a method for regulating urban form.•The method combines the RSB typology with the concept of solar envelopes.•The method produces compact urban blocks with high passive solar potential.•A pilot test in a Mediterranean city confirms the potential of the proposed method.

This paper presents the Residential Solar Block (RSB) envelope, a derivative of the original solar envelope that enables the development of compact residential urban blocks with high passive solar potential. The presented construction method of the RSB envelope is transferable to different climatic and development conditions. The solar geometry data required for its construction is deduced from energy simulations of a typical thermal zone with respect to useful passive solar gains and local climatic needs. A pilot study of the RSB Envelope at an urban site in the Mediterranean demonstrates a significant improvement over the existing urban layout in terms of winter insolation.

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