Reducing heat stress with pergolas: innovative shade solutions for comfortable spaces

Abstract

Climate change and urbanization lead to heat stress, characterized by symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, and concentration problems. Blue-Beez, a company, designed a pergola to provide shade and collect rainwater. This project, commissioned by the International Water Technology (IWT) research group, aimed to create an optimized version of the pergola to help reduce indoor and outdoor temperatures in urban areas and to reuse rainwater. Existing research suggests that shading structures like pergolas can block up to 90% of heat. The hypothesis of this project was that a pergola could reduce heat stress by decreasing indoor temperatures by 2°C. The project followed several design phases, finalized in a realized pergola. The pergola design evolved through these stages, incorporating features like a rotation system and rainwater collection mechanisms. The pergola was built and installed next to the Smart Tiny Lab (STL), with sensors placed to measure temperature and other parameters. Data was collected over five days, showing that the pergola reduced room temperature by 1-1.5°C during sunny days. However, at night, temperatures remained higher unless ventilation was provided. The data indicates that the pergola positively impacts urban heat stress by lowering temperatures. More research is needed to fully understand the pergola's effects over a longer period and to explore its potential for rainwater collection. Collaboration with stakeholders and a clear project goal from the start were identified as crucial for future projects. The project team recommended further data collection and involving experts in civil engineering for a comprehensive business case. The project demonstrated promising results, with the pergola effectively reducing temperatures and offering a potential solution for urban heat stress. Future research and improved project management strategies were suggested to enhance the pergola's design and implementation.