Integrated outdoor and indoor thermal comfort assessment in a heat-vulnerable neighbourhood: a parametric simulation approach

This study presents an integrated parametric simulation workflow for the joint assessment of outdoor and indoor thermal environments at the neighbourhood scale. Combining urban microclimate modelling with dynamic building energy simulation via Ladybug Tools, the workflow eliminates manual cross-platform data transfers while enabling simultaneous multi-domain analysis. Applied to a heat-vulnerable Mediterranean social-housing district in Seville, Spain, the model resolves the coupling between urban geometry and indoor thermal habitability across typologies. Outdoor assessments reveal spatial inequity: pedestrian zones exhibit full-day Outdoor Thermal Comfort Autonomy (OTCA) values approximately 5% below roadways, worsening to nearly 14% during afternoon peak hours due to elevated mean radiant temperatures in enclosed canyons. Indoors, H-block dwellings outperform linear typologies by over 9% in full-day comfort, reflecting urban morphology's decisive impact. These findings demonstrate that effective heat mitigation in Mediterranean cities requires integrated, morphology-aware strategies addressing the coupled outdoor–indoor thermal environment.