Marjolein Pijpers-van Esch is an assistant professor at the Chair of Environmental Technology and Design. She holds a PhD, specializing in the analysis and design of the urban microclimate on the scale levels of the street, neighbourhood and city.
An urban microclimate is the distinctive climate in a small-scale urban area, and is constituted by the influence of the built environment on the larger scale climatic conditions. The atmospheric variables (solar radiation, daylight, wind, air quality, sound) in a microclimate can deviate substantially from the conditions prevailing over a larger area. In other words: the design of a city and its components sets the conditions for their microclimates.
Currently she is working on a research project concerning the Van Leeuwenhoekpark in Delft. The project focusses at climate adaptation in general and the minimization of heat stress in particular.
As graduation mentor, Marjolein is interested in projects that integrate urban design and climatology.
A graduation project should comprise both research and design. Possible graduation topics could include:
– Strategies and design proposals for the mitigation of urban heat islands.
– Strategies and design proposals for the improvement of urban air quality.
– Strategies and design proposals to reduce building energy consumption through improving the urban microclimate.
Students Marjolein has supervised:
Gerards, L. (2020): Power to the Euroregion Meuse Rhine: Towards a euRegional Energy Strategy.
Vietti, M. (2017). Cleaning the air: Mitigating air pollution through Urban Design.
Kleerekoper, L. (2009). Design principles for Urban Heat Management.